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Emmaline Bowman (Em) is the Director and Founder of STEM Landscape Architecture & Design. With a Bachelor of Design and a Master of Landscape Architecture, she specialises in creating landscapes that work in harmony with the natural environment.
Em’s design philosophy is grounded in the belief that nature holds all the answers. Her work focuses on Australian plants, wildlife, habitat creation and ecological restoration, crafting spaces that are both beautiful and beneficial to the environment.
Em loves wildlife! She is also especially drawn to designing with water, a passion shaped by her early experience working with aquariums, ponds and animal husbandry.
Outside the studio, Em enjoys exploring nature, travelling, drawing, aquariums and spending time on her family farm where her passion for landscapes and animals first began.
Chillie holds a degree in Landscape Architecture from RMIT. Her passion for landscape stems from a deep interest in how outdoor environments can bring people together and shape meaningful connections with nature.
Chillie is particularly passionate about designing landscapes within public spaces where broader communities can enjoy. She enjoys creating environments that invite movement, celebrate seasonal change and allow ecological systems to quietly flourish.
A formative influence on her design perspective came from time spent living and working in New York City, where she was inspired by the energy of public life and the way landscapes transform throughout the seasons.
Outside the studio, Chillie enjoys a good matcha, long walks with her two girls (human and furry), a great glass of wine, and spending time immersed in natural environments.
With a degree in Urban Horticulture from the University of Melbourne’s Burnley campus, Tom is a landscape designer and horticulturist at STEM.
Tom’s passion for the outdoors stems from growing up on a small farm, where much of his free time was spent exploring the creek and surrounding bushland. Before moving into design, Tom worked in garden maintenance, giving him a strong appreciation for what it takes to make gardens not only beautiful, but functional and sustainable over time.
Tom has a particular love for floriferous, meadow-style gardens and diverse planting palettes. He also has somewhat of a superpower, he seems to know the name of nearly every plant, and if he doesn’t, he’ll quickly find out.
Laura holds a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Bristol and a Postgraduate Certificate in Landscape Design.
After a successful career in marketing and communications, Laura followed her love of nature into the world of landscape design. Through her studies and ecological research, she has developed a deep appreciation of how local ecosystems function and how thoughtful design can help them thrive.
Laura enjoys designing landscapes that invite people to slow down, notice the small things, and reconnect with the natural world, while quietly supporting biodiversity and natural processes. She also happens to be a wonderful photographer, always ready to capture the beauty of plants, landscapes and wildlife.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN / BIOLOGICAL SCIENCEEglė is a gardener and a landscape designer with a deep interest in creating gardens that prioritise the health of the natural environment and support biodiversity.
With a background in early childhood education, she is naturally drawn to gardens that spark curiosity, spaces that are playful, engaging and invite people to slow down, explore and connect with the living world around them. Eglė believes gardens can be powerful places for learning, care and wonder.
She is inspired by designers such as Jo Ferguson, whose work celebrates native grasslands and the healing power of gardens, and Terremoto, whose exploration of the ever-changing relationships between land, materials, labour and plants resonates deeply with her approach to landscape.
Luna has travelled all the way from New York City to greener pastures here in Melbourne. As the studio’s resident canine consultant, she offers her expert advice on plant selections suitable for her four-legged friends and keeps the team company with her calm and playful nature.
Luna’s professional skills include strategic napping, enthusiastic tail wagging, and expert-level treat negotiation. Her preferred payment method is pig ears, though she will also accept biscuits, pats, and compliments about how cute she is.
Migi and Cheika are Em’s feathered companions and beloved members of the STEM family. Em is also known to occasionally bring in animals that need a little respite and care.
At STEM, wildlife is always part of the conversation, whether feathered, furry, scaly, pet or wild. Designing with animals in mind is simply part of how we think about landscapes.
With birds, plants and the occasional visiting creature, STEM HQ is far from your everyday workplace.
Every landscape begins with listening, to our clients, to the character of the site and to the natural systems that shape a place. Our design process is thoughtful and collaborative, guiding each project from early ideas through to a carefully resolved garden design.
By combining creativity, horticultural knowledge and a deep respect for the natural environment, we create landscapes that feel connected, enduring and uniquely suited to those who will live within them.
Our process begins with a site consultation, where we walk through the landscape together to understand the existing conditions, observe the character of the site and discuss how you would like to live within the garden. During this conversation we explore your aesthetic preferences, practical requirements and budget, while identifying opportunities for planting, habitat and thoughtful design.
Following the consultation, we prepare a tailored fee proposal outlining the landscape design process and the stages involved in bringing your project to life, along with the associated design fees.
Our concept plans are tailored to reflect these individual needs, ensuring each design responds thoughtfully to both people and place.
At STEM, planting is at the heart of our work. We take great care in selecting plants that are not only beautiful but well suited to the local environment and conditions of your garden. Drawing on our strong horticultural knowledge and careful research, we create planting schemes designed to establish successfully and thrive over time.
Below you can explore the elements typically included in our design process, beginning with the Concept Plan.
The Concept Plan establishes the overall vision and structure of your garden. It illustrates the proposed layout of spaces, pathways, key landscape elements and planting areas, helping you visualise how the landscape will function and feel. This stage allows us to explore ideas together and refine the design, so it responds thoughtfully to both your brief and the character of the site.
Once the Concept Plan has been finalised, we prepare a detailed Planting Plan. This plan specifies the plants selected for the garden, including their locations, quantities and arrangement within the landscape. Drawing on our strong horticultural knowledge and understanding of local conditions, we carefully curate planting that will establish well and thrive over time, creating a garden that grows more beautiful with each season.
Once the design phase is complete, the project moves into the tender stage. At this point the plans are shared with contractors so that detailed construction costs can be prepared.
At STEM we work with a selected number of trusted contractors across Melbourne and Victoria, and we are happy to recommend teams who understand the level of care and craftsmanship our landscapes require. Some clients may also choose to work with their own preferred builders.
We guide our clients through the tender process, helping interpret quotes and ensuring the scope of work is clearly understood. Construction costs can sometimes feel overwhelming, so we aim to make the process transparent and manageable, helping you understand what is achievable within your budget.
Intro spiel here and can mention from a full consult or a ‘Garden Yarn’ etc.
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From $5,000 + GST
Every garden is unique, which means our design fees vary depending on scope and complexity. Whether you have a compact courtyard or a large rural property, we tailor our design process to suit your site, vision, and level of detail required. Projects involving steeply sloping blocks, retaining walls, built structures, ponds, wetlands, or extensive construction require additional planning and documentation, which is reflected in the fee.
Our team of highly skilled landscape architects, horticulturalists, and landscape designers work collaboratively to deliver thoughtful, buildable, and ecologically responsive outcomes.
We design for:
· Very small gardens
· Small to medium gardens
· Large residential landscapes
· Rural properties
· Public spaces
Design Package – What You Receive
Landscape Design Plan
A comprehensive plan detailing:
This plan provides clear direction for construction and ensures all elements are thoughtfully resolved before works begin.
Planting Plan
Once the landscape design plan is finalised, we prepare a detailed planting plan including:
This ensures your planting is cohesive, site-appropriate, and aligned with the overall design vision.
From $XXX + GST
Intro spiel here of up to x2 short parargraphs.
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Design Package – What You Receive
Landscape Design Plan
A comprehensive plan detailing:
This plan provides clear direction for construction and ensures all elements are thoughtfully resolved before works begin.
Planting Plan
Once the landscape design plan is finalised, we prepare a detailed planting plan including:
This ensures your planting is cohesive, site-appropriate, and aligned with the overall design vision.
Pricing from $2,000 + GST (site visit not included).
Intro spiel here.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aenean ultrices tempus urna, et suscipit urna dictum eget. Curabitur iaculis lacus id eleifend ullamcorper. Sed sed rutrum sem.
Design Package – What You Receive
Landscape Design Plan
A comprehensive plan detailing:
This plan provides clear direction for construction and ensures all elements are thoughtfully resolved before works begin.
Planting Plan
Once the landscape design plan is finalised, we prepare a detailed planting plan including:
This ensures your planting is cohesive, site-appropriate, and aligned with the overall design vision.
Plant lists from $1,250 + GST
Intro spiel here.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aenean ultrices tempus urna, et suscipit urna dictum eget. Curabitur iaculis lacus id eleifend ullamcorper. Sed sed rutrum sem.
Design Package – What You Receive
Landscape Design Plan
A comprehensive plan detailing:
This plan provides clear direction for construction and ensures all elements are thoughtfully resolved before works begin.
Planting Plan
Once the landscape design plan is finalised, we prepare a detailed planting plan including:
This ensures your planting is cohesive, site-appropriate, and aligned with the overall design vision.
RESIDENTIAL: NORTHCOTE PROJECT
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