Around the motu

Herwi Scheltus (1951-2026) worked tirelessly as a landscape architect in the public service of the New Zealand Government for four decades, most especially leaving his mark on Aotearoa’s much treasured Conservation estate. A brief memoriam of his life is shared here by NZILA Tuia Pito Ora.

It’s no easy feat to be named in the winning team for the ArchEngBuild challenge. So kudos to landscape architecture student Konstantinos Antonopoulos for working with students from engineering, building/ construction management and architecture disciplines to help shape a winner!

The 2026 ArchEngBuild challenge - the 13th since 2012 - brought students to Ōtautahi Christchurch from tertiary education institutions across Aotearoa New Zealand. This article provides reflections on this highly regarded event, organised by BRANZ, from the points of view of a mentor, judge and two students.

Six trees have their branches extended ready to receive the honour of being named the 2026 Tree of the year / Rākau o te tau. Which will it be? Ancient Pūriri, Mighty Old Mataī, Kissing Tree, The Bucket Tree, The Sango Survivor or Old Goff?

This year’s theme of Matariki herenga waka is all about inclusion and encouraging all people to celebrate Matariki together. ‘Matariki herenga waka’ is an adaptation of the proverb ‘Tāmaki herenga waka’ which means ‘Tāmaki the gathering place of many canoes’.

Enoch Shi, now on the Arcadia team in Auckland, has achieved the feat of completing two Master degrees between 2020-26. His latest thesis project spans architecture and landscape architecture to position and contextualise memories of Chinese gold miners in Central Otago.

Thanks to NZILA Fellow Steve Dunn, the plantings that conceal the mammoth Omāroro reservoir were given a thorough revisit in June. This article couples the emergent beauty of this ‘well kept secret’ with Crystal Olin’s critique of the Wellington Town Belt’s contradictions.

Influential landscape architect Rachel de Lambert has been presented with the Garvey Cup by the Auckland branch of Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects for elevating design outcomes and enriching the discourse and practice of architecture in Aotearoa.

One month out from celebrating Matariki, we share Boffa Miskell landscape architect Yoko Tanaka’s reflections on weaving tikanga-based approaches into the design process: grounded in place, shaped by people, and strengthened through collaboration.

Hannah Merrett-Kaufman’s path to becoming a Graduate Landscape Architect has been paved with hard work. Her advice to undergraduates is twofold: Stay resilient through setbacks and “stay open to different paths because your goals at the start of university will probably change over time, and that’s okay”.

Ralph Johns celebrates the “elated excitement” that has accompanied the opening of the coastal edge along Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington's great harbour, to the public. This photo, by Manea Sweeney, Pou Arahi of Planning, Engagement and Partnerships at Tonkin & Taylor, shows her son and friend on the opening day “marvelling at the small stuff”.

The 4.5km Te Ara Tupua path between Ngauranga and Petone was opened on 15 May. This essay by Isthmus principal Sean Burke focuses on the place of landscape architecture in coastal projects and first appeared in Lincoln University’s Landscape Review journal in 2025.

Recreation Aotearoa’s Green Pavlova conference highlights the overlapping and intersecting fields of parks, play, and open spaces. This year it took place on 13-14 May at Claudelands Park, Kirikiriroa Hamilton.

Recreation Aotearoa’s annual Parks Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the shaping of our parks, play and open spaces across the motu. Award winners for 2026 were presented on the evening of Thursday 14 May.

The new ‘mega-ministry’ MCERT is set to become operational on 1 July, and before then the Ministry for the Environment or MfE, logo above, will have been formally disestablished after 39 years as a significant cog in the machinery of the public service.

Peter Sergel held the pencil on development of the globally recognised work done at the Hamilton Gardens across four decades. Now a movie titled The Time Traveller’s Guide to Hamilton Gardens has faithfully documented the evolution of this ‘museum of humanity’.

Looking for insights into all things housing in Aotearoa New Zealand? Look no further - the CHA Hub, officially launched in March, offers access to in-depth articles, case studies, videos, podcasts and research - courtesy of Community Housing Aotearoa.

Unitec graduate Lyrck Maiava has been making a mark in the world of play theory and decolonisation, and was named best student presenter at the Architectural Science Association (ASA) conference held at the University of Melbourne in December.

The matching of Peter Sergel, creator of the Hamilton Gardens, and photographer Grant Sheehan has resulted in a not-to-miss film soon showing as part of the Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival: The Time-Traveller’s Guide to Hamilton Gardens

Given we live on a planet being buffeted at regular intervals by disruptive turmoil and converging challenges, the determination of Gary Marshall and Finn Mackesy to prepare new pathways through permaculture is inspirational. Check out their fundraising campaign.