Did you always want to work in landscape architecture?
From about 8 years old I wanted to be an architect and a builder. After high school I was accepted into architecture at Auckland University. They held my place while I went overseas for a year, spending five months in France and five months in Canada. When I returned I did one day of architecture and decided it wasn’t for me. My heart was in landscape architecture and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve always had a passion for the environment. I think our relationship with our environment (built or otherwise) is the essence of what landscape architecture is about.

So your OE changed the direction of your career?
It was a great learning experience because I was young and it was a big contrast to New Zealand. I think because Europe has limited space they need to be careful and articulate their spaces better. As a result of this, they have nodes of development of greater density, which link with their transport infrastructure, pedestrianised centres and public space. This gives a real community feel to their urban centres - it provides a really nice sense of life. They also have a rich history in architecture and landscape architecture which we are still developing in New Zealand.

We’re under pressure to build more houses quickly in urban centres... what do you see as the downside to that, from a landscape perspective?
With the pressure of building things quickly, we are not questioning the fundamentals of what we are doing. We are currently building suburbs which sprawl forever and become heartless communities, disconnected from key infrastructure. A stronger solution would be nodes of higher density, mixed used development, along a transport network.

You says that there is a shift towards a ‘greener’ approach, but the challenge is translating this trend into what actually gets built. Can you please explain this?
It is pretty easy for people to be perceived as introducing sustainable methods in development, but sometimes there are challenges that prevent those concepts and philosophies being implemented. The main challenge is moving away from the habitual norm. There is definitely a shift towards people being more open minded to greener approaches in this industry and it’s a good shift, an exciting one. The use of native plants is a big trend and people are generally much more open to using native plants than they previously were. Green walls, green roofs and bioswales are becoming more common, which is great. Native plants, once considered part of the ‘untamed wild,’ are now embraced and encouraged.

What inspires you?
I think it’s important to draw inspiration from all sorts of places. Our job as designers is to distil a number of ideas, thoughts and experiences. I’m inspired by designs that feel comfortable and respond closely to their site. I think a big part of that is taking design cues from a site, a ‘bottom up’ approach. Ian McHarg’s principles still sit firmly today in what landscape architecture is trying to achieve – which is designing with, and not against, natural systems.

What are you working on now?
Earlier this year I finished a project for Starship Hospital. Awkward sites present unique opportunities. The site is south-facing, bound by the building on one side and a 5m retaining wall on the other. It is a secure space for the childrens psychiatric ward. Bringing life, colour and calmness, were key drivers in the design. There is an informal basketball court, a ‘sensory garden’ and a ‘tranquil garden.’ A cobblestone mound anchors the site, with a radiating paving pattern like a pebble dropped in water. Seeing the design come to life was really rewarding. It has made a huge difference to the lives of the patients, which is fantastic.

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