How the Passion to Shape Landscapes Shapes Us
By Ryan Shubin
As landscape architects, we like to believe that our work is about shaping the land—crafting outdoor spaces that are beautiful, meaningful, and ultimately make the world a better place. But if you’re lucky—and if you pour yourself fully into the work, with all your heart, energy, and passion—sometimes the landscapes you help shape end up shaping you.
That has certainly been true for me.
Between 2014 and 2019, I had the privilege of leading three significant public landscape projects in Singapore while serving as a director at Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl (RSD). These projects became a personal canon of work—landscapes that, for most people living here in my hometown of Seattle, may be entirely unknown. Yet, in Singapore, they’ve grown into beloved public spaces that carry the sweat, dedication, collaboration, and joy we poured into their making. And that’s where their true power lies—not only in their design but in the daily experiences and lasting memories they now create for millions of people.
The landscapes I’m speaking of are:
Lakeside Garden at Jurong Lake Gardens
A 130-acre waterfront national garden in western Singapore, Lakeside Garden offers expansive green spaces that connect urban residents with nature through leisure, play, and ecological experiences.
The National Orchid Garden at Singapore Botanic Gardens
Located in the heart of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the recently enhanced National Orchid Garden features the Tropical Montane Orchidetum—a sequence of elevation-inspired, orchid-rich landscapes including a signature cool tropical house—and a flexible VIP garden designed to host orchid naming ceremonies and special events.
The Gallop Extension at Singapore Botanic Gardens
The Gallop Extension adds nearly 20 acres to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, featuring the COMO Adventure Grove nature play area, the Canopy Link bridging the ridgetop forest to the Learning Forest, and restored colonial-era buildings now home to the Botanical Art Gallery and Forest Discovery Centre.
I had the incredible honor of leading the landscape design teams for these projects through their most formative stages—from concept design to construction. Each of these landscapes was shaped with deep care, thoughtfulness, and a steadfast belief that great public spaces matter. Today, they welcome visitors from all walks of life—locals and tourists, children and elders, fellow designers, and everyday people who simply love being outdoors. Individually, each of these gardens receives millions of visitors every year. Together, they’ve earned thousands of glowing Google reviews and several prestigious design awards—but more importantly, they’ve become places where people gather, celebrate, heal, and create lasting memories.
It still blows my mind to think that what began as loose sketches, passionate conversations, and big ideas—shared inside the old concrete walls of our office on King George Avenue—are now real, living, thriving landscapes. Places that exist far beyond our drawing sets and design tables. Places that are now woven into people’s daily lives, part of their stories, their joy, their memories. That simple, humbling truth remains one of the greatest joys of my career.
But more than anything, what shaped me most throughout these projects were the incredible people I had the privilege to work alongside. The talented, passionate, and inspiring team who made these landscapes possible. It was an honor to lead, collaborate, and learn from each of you.
To my team and dear friends who worked beside me—tirelessly, day and night—to bring these landscapes, and so many more, to life: Thank you.
All work completed while at Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl