Manuel Rosin

How did your story begin?
My roots lie in the soil of vegetable gardens, in woodlands, in my grandparents’ teachings, and in a daily relationship with nature—formative experiences that gradually strengthened my passion for the plant world. This interest guided my academic and professional choices, leading me to obtain a diploma as an Agricultural Expert and, later, to start a green maintenance business in 2003. A serious accident marked a turning point in my path, steering me towards landscape design. I therefore undertook an international specialization path, spending five years in the Netherlands as Head Designer, where I deepened my knowledge of naturalistic design methodologies. In 2019, I returned to Italy, founding my own practice and dedicating myself to the creation of naturalistic gardens inspired by the Dutch Wave approach.

Who are the people who have most inspired you artistically and professionally?
In both artistic and professional terms, my journey has been deeply influenced by international figures such as Piet Oudolf, Nigel Dunnett, and Noel Kingsbury, pioneers of naturalistic design and ecological landscape thinking. Their research, both published and applied in significant design contexts, has represented a fundamental methodological model for my professional development.
However, I also recognise that the contemporary garden design landscape includes many highly talented and skilled professionals: for this reason, selecting additional names is difficult, as inspiration can emerge from multiple sources, each bringing distinct sensibilities and approaches.

How does nature inspire your projects and lifestyle?
Nature is the generative principle that guides both my design approach and my personal life. In the conception of every project, I prioritise a deep observation of the landscape context, from which I draw its essential constitutive elements. My aim is to understand the ecological dynamics of the environment in order to interpret and translate them into a design language, allowing nature itself to guide compositional choices.
On a personal level, Zen philosophy represents a fundamental pillar: it has allowed me to establish a harmonious balance between private life and profession, an inner synthesis that permeates and guides my daily work, ensuring coherence between lived values and created spaces.

How do you imagine your “mental landscape” when you create? Are there any real or imagined places that guide you?
My mental landscape is a synthesis of real experiences and imaginative visions. The process begins with careful empathy towards the client’s expectations, in order to interpret their deepest needs. In parallel, I carry out an analytical observation of the site, supported by detailed photographic documentation. I then allow space for the intuitive phase: through mental simulations and compositional hypotheses, I explore different solutions, questioning the potential of each element within the space.