A studio grown from the ground up
We are designers, horticulturists and builders who believe a garden should be crafted with the same rigour as the home it surrounds.
Est. 2014
Independent, Canberra-owned and proud of every garden we sign.
Design rigour, horticultural heart
Accessquest is a boutique landscape design studio based in Barton, Canberra. We take on a deliberately small number of projects each year so that every garden receives senior attention from concept through to handover.
Our work spans city courtyards, family gardens, rural estates and commercial courtyards — unified by an approach that pairs architectural structure with loose, climate-suited planting.
From one ute and a sketchbook
Accessquest was founded in 2014 by Ethan Caldwell, a landscape architect who spent his early career on large public-realm projects before deciding the most meaningful work happened at the scale of a single garden. He started with a ute, a sketchbook and a belief that residential landscapes deserved the same discipline as civic ones.
The studio's first commissions were modest courtyard gardens around inner Canberra. Word travelled: within three years Ethan had gathered a small team of horticulturists and landscapers who shared his obsession with detail, and Accessquest moved into its Barton studio.
A decade on, Ethan still personally reviews every concept that leaves the studio. The team has grown to eleven, the gardens have grown larger, and the philosophy has stayed exactly the same — honest materials, planting that belongs, and craftsmanship that ages gracefully.
The people behind the gardens
Ethan Caldwell
Founder & Principal Designer
Maya Whitford
Head Horticulturist
Liam O'Rourke
Construction Lead
Sofia Nguyen
Landscape Architect
Why clients choose Accessquest
Because we stay small on purpose. Your project is designed by senior people, built by our own crew and checked by the founder before handover — not passed down a chain of subcontractors.
Because we're honest about cost. Our quotations are itemised and fixed, and we'll tell you plainly when an idea isn't worth your money.
- Senior designers on every project, start to finish.
- In-house construction team — no handover gaps.
- Deep knowledge of ACT soils, frosts and water restrictions.
- Aftercare that keeps gardens true to the original design.
What guides every decision
Place before fashion
We design for the site, the climate and the client — not for trends that date in five years.
Honesty in the detail
Real materials, real quotes, real timelines. If we promise it, we sign our name to it.
Stewardship of land
Water-wise systems, habitat-friendly planting and materials sourced responsibly.
Craft over speed
We'd rather hand over one exceptional garden than five average ones.
Recognition we're proud of
Over twelve years our gardens have been recognised across the industry, but the achievements we value most are the clients who invite us back for their next home.
- 9 industry awards for residential and commercial landscape design.
- 120+ gardens completed across the ACT and surrounding region.
- Featured in three national garden and architecture publications.
- 98% of clients say they would recommend us to others.