Urbis design was conceived in New York, where my partner and I were living, surrounded by concrete in lower Manhattan. We craved a green space and I put my sculpture background to use creating a roof garden.

I'm captivated by form, be it the body, landscape or other natural forms such as shells, so when designing a volume to contain a plant these contours came very naturally.

I began to create plant containers in Glass Reinforced Concrete, a lightweight mouldable architectural cladding, which proved to be the ideal material. It is important though to 'rationalise' the form, develop a conscious continuity from one product to the next - most of our products are destined to occupy an urban setting, and so must share the language of architecture. Sculptural forms that can stand in their own right as pleasurable objects, yet complement the planting.

Returning to London, we gradually built up the momentum to become a business and launched Urbis in 2001, first showing at 100%Design the following year. Our stand was mobbed and we haven't looked back since.

I suppose my earlier desire for a greener urban environment has matured into one of the main aims of Urbis design – to connect city and landscape.

Richard Mackness