Staff Profile: Sam Snaith

At the forefront of all Harrisons projects, is the landscape design, and more importantly, how that design compliments the architecture of the home and our client’s lifestyle.   We sit down with Sam Snaith, Director and the Lead Designer at Harrisons to discuss “the men in grey suits” and of course, Missy Elliot.  

Who is Sam Snaith and what’s your role at Harrisons?

I’m just an average bloke with an above average life.  I live in a quite beach side suburb with my wife and young daughters.  I’m a company director and I manage our design team which consists of landscape designers, landscape architects and an administrative team.  We handle not only the design but also the council approval process.

Why garden design, and what do you enjoy about it most?

My mum asked me at the age of 7 what I wanted to be when I grew up and my response was “landscape architect”…..and here we are. I love the balance between client liaison throughout the design process and the solitude which comes with drafting/design.

If you had a gigantic billboard , what would you put on it?

No brainer  A whopping Harrisons logo. haha!

What’s your best purchase for under $100?

Slightly over  $100, my new shark deterrent legrope for surfing….I’m so scared of the ‘men in the grey suits’ 

What inspires you in design?

Other designers!!! Our industry has so many creative minds and people seem to feed off each other.  I’ve always been an admirer of Indigenous art and I draw a lot of inspiration about the scale and restraint the artists use.

What makes a garden great?

A comfortable spatial layout. Garden spaces need to be perfectly proportioned for them to feel right.

If you were a plant, what would it be?

Passiflora edulis, slightly left of centre, however strikingly beautiful with a tough exterior but soft inside.

What’s special about where you live?

The people I live with (my family) and a 10 minute walk to the beach.

What’s your philosophy on life?

Keep it simple and be nice to each other.

What is the most played song on your playlist?

Oh no… I promised myself I would be honest in this questionnaire….Currently it’s Missy Elliot. “Work It”

What’s next for Sam Snaith?

Hopefully another overseas surf trip with friends, however with two kids, that’s highly unlikely.