Jacques Wirtz started his landscape architecture business in 1948 as a classical design-build firm, designing in the evening hours and constructing gardens during the day.
This parallel structure, rather common in Belgium, developed over ± 50 years until 1989, when the design firm Wirtz International was split from the construction firm Wirtz Tuinarchitectuur as a separate business. He was joined by his sons Martin Wirtz in 1986 and by Peter Wirtz in 1990, who jointly lead the firms now. At this time Wirtz International employs 13 people and Wirtz Tuinarchitectuur 44.

Wirtz International is currently active in Belgium, its neighbouring countries the Netherlands, Germany, France and England but also in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Russia and Ukraine. Furthermore projects are ongoing in the USA and in Japan. This geographic variety obliges to work in different climate zones and plant habitats, a fascinating challenge.

Wirtz Tuinarchitectuur is focused on constructing our Belgian projects. Our skilled workmen train on site how to fine-tune a garden into a Wirtz made garden. Due to our long experience and good relationships with professional and qualitative material suppliers and nurseries, Wirtz became well known for its high quality construction level.

Wirtz International’s main activity is designing and following up the construction of landscape projects on the private, public, corporate and institutional market. A few milestones in the firm’s development were the gardens for the Belgian pavilion at the Osaka worldexposition in 1970, for the European pavilions at the Technology Expo at Tsukuta in 1975, redesigning the gardens of the Elysee Palace for the French President in 1992 and winning the competition for the Carrousel Gardens (Tuileries) in Paris in 1990. Recently Wirtz International won with Atelier Christian de Portzamparc the competition for the masterplan design for the European headquarters in Brussels (2009) and with David Chipperfield Architects the competition for the extension of the Kunsthaus in Zürich (2009).