This page contains all stories ever published on Landscape Architecture Aotearoa in date order from newest. Click OLDER to continue loading the archive.
In bringing the thinking behind four decades of design practice into view, David Irwin’s Meditations of a Landscape Architect is an invocation of many fundamentals for the profession: Let the land breathe; Hold your pen lightly; and What is what (to name a few).
Read MoreFor Natasha Iyer “every garden is a relationship”. No stranger to taking big decisions and stepping on to less trodden paths, Natasha’s career in landscape design, landscape architecture and garden design continues to flower.
Read MoreSam Bourne reflects on the road trip he took, in his overseeing role of head judge for the 2026 Resene NZILA Awards, with the four Design stream judges: Andrew Norris (lead), Kirstie Thorpe, Hugh Smith and guest judge Whare Timu, co-chair of Ngā Aho.
Read MoreThe opening date of 3 November for INTERWOVEN - the 2026 Lincoln University Landscape Architecture graduating MLA and BLA (Hons) exhibition - is fast approaching. Learn more about members of this year’s cohort who are currently finalising their Major Design projects.
Read MoreThe LAA newswire delivers some news ‘clips’ from RNZ, and stories of interest to dedicated followers of landscape architecture sourced from around the world. While we develop this content stream further, we’d welcome feedback to laaotearoa@nzila.co.nz
Read MoreThis latest newswire digest ranges across biodiversity, a project milestone, an events watch notice, a landscape studio update and shout-outs to interesting endeavours being undertaken by Christchurch City Council and the Paererewā charitable trust.
Read MoreMotivated by the sentiment that “it feels like we are at a critical juncture as we look to streamline the planning system”, Karl Check of Boffa Miskell shares his thoughts on the place of trees in our urban environments as critical infrastructure.
Read MoreThe local government sector in Aotearoa New Zealand is currently the focus of a major shake-up. In an ideal world wouldn’t it be better for redrawn administrative boundaries to match catchments rather than cut through them? And wouldn’t this reflect more meaningful connections to landscape?
Read MoreSitting days at Parliament are fast evaporating. Even so the pace before this year’s Election campaigning accelerates has reached a fever pitch, now jammed together with a consultation on testing the approach to National Policy Direction” to replace the RMA.
Read MoreThere’s seldom a lack of speaker events around the motu to keep track of - all providing valuable insights and perspectives on topics as varied as Visual Representation, what it takes to come out on top in Competitions and the pressing need to talk about Urban Heat.
Read MoreAtelier South is an intensive international Summer School hosted by the School of Architecture at Otago Polytechnic that explores how design education can respond to urgent environmental and social challenges.
Read MoreJames Paxton of Reset shares insightful thoughts about Te Tauoma - a brownfield regeneration project that may not have seen the light of day, but that sheds light on “what can happen when landscape architecture leads the shaping of cities from the very beginning”.
Read MoreDrawing on the Mangawhai Hills project, Reset co-director James Paxton sets out a belief that “when ecology, landform, water, movement and public life become the starting point, development produces communities that are healthier, more resilient and more memorable”.
Read MoreThis week’s news monitoring scan has brief items about: Te Pūmanawa o Onehunga; a call to take part in People’s Choice voting for IFLA’s Global Landscape Architecture (GLA) awards; a special recognition of Ines Stäger for her service to Forest & Bird; and the sad news of the death of Hastings District Council chief executive To’osavili Nigel Bickle.
Read MoreThe shortlist for the 2026 Resene NZILA Awards is out! The 15 categories and 51 contenders amply show that the positive impacts made by all landscape architecture professionals extend across an extraordinary breadth of locations and clients. When you look, landscape architecture is everywhere.
Read MoreIs the distinctive contribution that landscape architects make something larger than legislation? In this thinkpiece, Shannon Bray, positions the profession’s long-term relevance on its ability to bring differing perspectives together and to explain why landscape matters in the first place.
Read MoreAs part of celebrating the 10th anniversary of the ‘digital life’ of Landscape Architecture Aotearoa, we’re introducing a regular new feature we’re calling the LAA Newswire - drawing from social media channels and prompts from our readers.
Read MoreThe Environment select committee’s recommendations for amendments to the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill have landed with an inexorable thud that is slowly reverberating around the motu. Read LAA’s overview here.
Read MoreHerwi 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.
Read MoreLAA is grateful to Amy Hobbs for taking time to respond to a recent article we excerpted from 42 years ago on the topic of “Urban Vegetation” in Te Whanganui a Tara Wellington. Amy’s appraisal combines an honest critique with a call to do more to green our urban spaces.
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