Landscape students’ exhibition offers curated journey across the country

The final year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture students spent 2023 immersing themselves in work that involved combining their advanced skills into extensive portfolio pieces based on different sites around New Zealand.

Their projects investigated aspects of urban design, coastal design, ecological restoration and more, with each offering a unique, innovative solution for a real-world issue.

The result was their exhibition, Horizon, which was held at All Souls Anglican Church in Merivale and showcased the budding landscape architects’ unique visions and talents.

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Grad Entry) student Josh Allan, who took on the role of marketing team leader for Horizon, said the students were proud to display their exceptional projects.

From grand master plans down to the finest details, each project is a testament to their passion, dedication and creativity.

Josh’s project aims to make Kaiapoi a key North Canterbury township separate from Christchurch and home to "an expansive range of residents who can seamlessly travel to and from the city through an extensive, fast-paced public transport system".

"Kaiapoi will have a vibrant new town heart for its community, centred around its form as a river town, while delving into its deep cultural roots," he said.

His plan would facilitate an urban revitalisation of Kaiapoi, enhancing economic growth, cultural and social engagement and ecological factors, as well as addressing flooding risk and rising seal levels.

"Kaiapoi could become home to a range of residents, welcoming and accommodating those in surrounding communities forced away from their homes due to coastal inundation."

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture student Hamish Murphy's project focuses on a revamp of Wynyard Quarter to Te Ara Tukutuku along the coastline of Tamaki Makaurau Auckland's CBD. It aims to address issues of sea level rise, urban sprawl and the embedded reliance on cars currently experienced across the city. 

"By consolidating higher densities in walkable centres around main rapid transit links, we can create a more sustainable city that allows the environment to evolve," Hamish said. "The current projection for the city is a 1m sea level rise across the next 100 years, with the distinction between land and sea creating a more dynamic landscape.

"By designing for this change in a 50-year plan, we have time to remediate and consolidate land along the waterfront that will allow a controlled managed retreat of low-lying coastal areas."

Master of Landscape Architecture student Ella Christian-Farrow’s project proposes turning Kauri Mountain, near Whangārei, into Nukurārangi Regional Park, a location that embodies sustainable land use practices, restores the mauri of a Te Tai Tokerau mountain-to-sea ecosystem and creates a destination for people to learn and explore.

"As the land is not suited to conventional farming, it will be phased out, backed by a kaitiakitanga approach and alternative indigenous productive land use," Ella said.

"Nukuārangi Regional Park will allow biodiversity to flourish, enhancing a place for people to explore via range of recreational experiences and learn through first-hand interactions with a diverse natural environment."

Learn more about the students’ designs by visiting the Horizons Instagram account.

Lincoln University’s School of Landscape Architecture graduates are highly sought-after within New Zealand and globally.

During their study programmes, students obtain a broad understanding of the many factors that constitute a landscape architect, including spatial design, ecology, planting knowledge, site analysis, hardscape design and construction, sustainability and historical and cultural contexts.

Pictured top: Hamish Murphy and Josh Allan, two of the landscape architecture students who took part in the Horizons exhibition. 
Above: The students' projects displayed at All Souls Anglican Church in Merivale.