Landscape architecture first for FESTA this year

FESTA - the Festival of Transitional Architecture in Christchurch- celebrates its seventh year this Labour Weekend. To mark the occasion a team of six landscape architects have combined forces to create their own exhibition. It’s the first time that a team consisting solely of landscape architects has been involved in the festival.

FESTA is an opportunity for the public to experience a reimagined Christchurch, comprising imaginative architectural installations, workshops, talks, pop-up projects, family events, tours, live performance, artworks and more.

Our LA team’s exhibition is called ‘Biodiversity Beacons’ and they have numerous objectives. Made from sponsored materials including recycled drums, plants and lighting, we are creating a bold, interactive and durable display. We are tying into this year’s FESTA theme of the connection between food and the city; our exhibition is based around the other living creatures aside from people, which also exist in the city and require food.

The landscape architects’ exhibition is called Biodiversity Beacons.

Our seven beacons will each focus on a specific insect to be found in the city and the associated plants which it needs to survive. Through this exhibition, we aim to increase people’s knowledge of the connections within our surrounding environment, and the complex systems which are all a vital part of the world around us.

“Biodiversity Beacons” is based around the other living creatures aside from people, which also exist in the city and require food.

We also intend to raise the profile of landscape architecture and get people talking about all the many and varied things that we do as landscape architects. It is an opportunity to increase awareness of the many skills that we have and how we contribute to projects.

We will also be positively promoting the NZILA, through the FESTA event and social media such as Instagram, which will continue beyond the festival. The NZILA local branch is assisting with funding for some of the construction elements and we are also being sponsored by suppliers for other materials.

A key part of the exhibition is its continued life beyond the festival. Once FESTA is over, we intend that the beacons are distributed out to a community garden, so that they will be used and enjoyed by people and insects. This way the conversation and awareness around other life in the city and food sources, as well as Landscape Architecture, continues.

The seven beacons each focus on a specific insect found in the city and the associated plants it needs to survive.

The purpose of FESTA is to:

● create a platform for city-makers and citizens to imagine and experience Christchurch differently

● celebrate the culture of creativity, active citizenship and hope that has emerged in Christchurch since the earthquakes

● encourage more people to get involved in the remaking of their city, bringing tens of thousands of people into the city for one occasion

● provide a positive, collective experience of the changing central city

● stimulate longer-term change in how and who makes Christchurch.

It runs from October 19 to 22, so get yourself down to Christchurch and come and say hello.