CRISTINA REFOLO
MSc MLA CMLI
Founding Director
Cristina is a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute with over two decades of professional experience. Over the years, she has built up a wealth of expertise across a range of sectors, including urban regeneration schemes with integrated SuDS, educational landscapes, residential developments, and aquatic systems.
In 2013, she founded Refolo Landscape Architects, bringing her vision and passion for thoughtful, sustainable design to life. Cristina served as a surface water management and biodiversity expert for the High Streets Task Force – a government-commissioned panel tasked with shaping the future of our town centres.
She regularly contributes her insight as a member of several design review panels and serves as a judge for both the Landscape Institute Awards and London in Bloom. She is also a Building with Nature (BwN) accredited assessor for green infrastructure.
Cristina plays an active role in every project undertaken by the practice. Her design ethos is deeply shaped by her international background, having lived and worked across the UK, Sweden, Italy, and Kenya.
TAFFETA GRAY
BSc MRes MLA
Taffeta joined R-LA after working at Colvin & Moggridge. She holds a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Greenwich. Before pursuing landscape architecture, she gained a strong foundation in conservation, ecology, and sustainability. Taffeta studied baboons and Barbary macaques in South Africa and Europe, which deepened her love for the natural world and appreciation for vast landscapes. She then worked for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Pew Environment Group. During her time there, she was part of a team that contributed to the designation of the world's largest Marine Protected Area. Taffeta's passion for the environment and ecology led her to pursue landscape architecture, recognizing the crucial role of nature-based solutions in mitigating climate change. Her specific interests revolve around green infrastructure, sustainable drainage and biodiversity.
LEELA O-DEA
Cenv MSc
Leela is a Chartered Ecologist and Environmental Manager with over 17 years’ experience She has extensive knowledge in managing SSSI, SPA, SAC and other designated sites and plays an important role in achieving excellent environmental credentials for the practice. She is a CEEQUAL assessor ensuring sustainability targets for landscape and public realm projects.
RICHARD HAINE
Cenv BSc (Hons)
Richard is a Chartered Water & Environment Manager, working across both urban and rural landscapes. As a CEEQUAL assessor he works with clients to improve the sustainability of projects through their design, construction and long term operation. He develops strategic partnerships with environmentally responsible organisations and NGOs for project collaboration to improve ecology and deliver social benefit. Leela and Richard are also founding partners of frog environmental, a practice affiliated to R-LA that specialises in river restoration.
MARK BURGESS
BSc and MSc (Hons)
Mark is in charge of the business development and quality control of the practice. Following his BSc and MSc in Mathematics at Cambridge University, Mark has managed and lead successful business for the last 25 years and brings a multitude of strategic benefits to R-LA. With a passion for music and design Mark's input often brings a new vision to R-LA's designs.