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• High Flyer

  Monday Jul 12, 2010

  Conceiving, collaborating and creating innovative landscapes for over 30 years this clip visually explores the Natural Habitats process and some of its landscapes. But don't take our word for it, find out for yourself...

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  Friday Apr 23, 2010

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• Landscapes with a Silver Lining

  

  Monday Apr 19, 2010

  It was a great night for Natural Habitats at the 2010 New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architecture Awards in Wellington this month. “This is the first time Natural Habitats has entered these awards, and all three of our entries have been award winning” says Graham Cleary owner of Natural Habitats. The Biannual Awards are intended to highlight the role landscape architects play in enhancing the distinctiveness of New Zealand's urban and rural landscapes.

  Two parks from the Stonefields development were entered by Natural Habitats. Volcano Park the first neighbourhood reserve to be built within the Stonefields development was awarded silver in the in the rural/park/recreational catergory. Its design references the past and present geological condition of the area Sculptural elevated landform, jagged fractured paths, edging and scattered boulders reflect the massive volcanic form and geological story of Maungarei, which towers 130meters above sea level, and is one of the defining features of this site.

  Kickaball park, which embodies the idea of play in every aspect of the design, also won silver in the in the rural/park/recreational category. Both awards were accepted by the reserves designer Debbie Tikao of Natural Habitats and James Lord of Surface Design, who was responsible for the development’s initial master plan. “I designed the playground within Kickaball Park with my own children in mind” says Debbie. This appears to have been the key to success, the park was only completed a few months ago, but children are already using every inch of it, exactly how it was intended to be used.

  The reserves scooped up all the silver awards in the rural/park/recreational category, reinforcing the high quality of design within the Stonefields development, which is Auckland’s largest master planned community encompassing 110 hectares and providing 2,900 dwellings that will house 6,500 people. The development looks set to become a precedent for sustainable development, and compact urban growth.

  Natural Habitats is responsible for the initial concept design through the developed, detailed and contract phases of all reserves within the Stonefields Development. No doubt the design of the remaining parks will be of the same calibre.

  The Parc, a roof garden oasis in the heart of Auckland CBD, won silver in the residential category. Designed by Debbie Tikao in 2002 The Parc was one of the first of roof gardens of this size to be constructed in New Zealand. “It is one of those spaces that continue to delight people year round” says Debbie.

  The Parc’s expansive oval lawn, large chunky timber pergolas and pool are visually attractive when viewed at ground level and from the above apartments, and provide a degree of separation and privacy for the apartments on the ground level.

  The aesthetic of the park, with its softly curving crushed limestone paths, clipped hedges, flowering cherry trees (Prunus ‘Awanui’) and sculptural citrus orchard complement the traditional architectural style of the surrounding buildings. It is easy to see why The Parc, a garden for the senses and the seasons is recognized as an award winning landscape.

• Making Space for People

  

  Wednesday Mar 24, 2010

  To participate in a discussion around the design of premier public space, I believe it is imperative to have an understanding of what it is about a space that earns it such a prestigious description. In landscape the term ‘premier’ is often assigned to a space that is successful in its designed intention, enriches the character of the city and adds value for the local community.

  However the ambiguity inherent in the term ‘premier’ can be problematic. Something described as being premier, may be perceived as being exclusive. A successful public space is supportive and democratic. Place-making based on exclusion, especially in the public realm can be seen as socially poisonous.

  One of the best ways to define premier space is to examine examples of such spaces. Focusing on urban parks as one example of public space, illustrates how spaces can remain or become premier without creating exclusivity. Urban parks are widely recognised for their importance as municipal community spaces, which promote activity, social interaction and events. Their success within their urban situation, can dramatically affect the overall success of the communities they connect to and their broader urban context.

  Indeed the common thread between what Auckland City Council lists as some of the city’s premier parks is: a rich history, distinctive character, importance within the community and values to the heritage and current activities of the city. While Parks which are not classified as premier may still possess some of these characteristics, they may not be widely recognised.

  If success is measured on the recognition of these inherent values to the city, it would suggest that the relationships between citizens, the local community, and all relevant phenomena of a public space (both tangible and intangible) need to be strengthened, if a public space is to be regarded as premier.

  In order to address the heritage of a public space and its value to the city it is necessary that the outcome is not determined prior to the design process. Potential interventions should be informed by the conditions of the space and its historical, current and desired relationship to the city. If the most important consideration for the design of successful public space is securing and strengthening these relationships, then it is vital to ensure that groups responsible for the current and historical value of a place are not marginalized. Particularly if they do not conform to the designers imagined romantic future. If the flora and fauna being proposed are not appropriate for the realities of the site and are not designed for, the current situation is replaced with an unpredictable situation with unforeseen consequences.

  Indeed such generic spaces can create insecurity, the effects of which are often negative. An example of this is Bryant Park in New York. The re-design of Bryant Park in the 1980’s reintroduced it to the public, improved the quality of the surrounding area and the attitudes of its occupants. Today the park is predominately occupied by private activity and exclusive events. This has reduced overall public activity within the park and affected the surrounding businesses and the attitudes of the community. This park is no longer a constant in public life, upon which people can rely.

  To strengthen the relationships between the community and public spaces there needs to be an affinity between the two. If a space is not necessary to people’s everyday lives then there needs to be attraction to it. The museum, gardens and public events that occur at the Auckland Domain assist in making it an important space for many Aucklanders and reinforce existing positive relationships.

  The connection of Albert Park to the City art gallery, the Universities and main arterial routes through town make it an integral and pleasant part of the journey between destinations within city. In both of these examples, opportunities for activity are offered rather than scripted. A space which strengthens public relationships and suggests activity can assist with the security of a public space.

  Security and the feeling of security is an integral characteristic of a premier public space. Many studies have shown that members of the public are more inclined to use a space which they feel safe in. While this goes without saying, the more important issue is how to achieve it? Creating clear connections and avoiding visual barriers enables people to assess a situation before entering a space.

  Crime Prevention through environmental design (CPTED) refers to this as natural surveillance. It suggests that clear view lines and good lighting not only limit hiding places for potential criminals but allow people to feel comfortable, encouraging the use of public space. Popularity based on attraction, is largely determined by the activity and quality of the environment. Increased popularity further enhances security.

  Creating clear sightlines does not mean that expansive plains imbue a sense of security. Indeed a number of public spaces have been criticised for their inability to channel the conditions of the site to create a comfortable environment for its users. Humans are by nature biophiles. Creating a natural environment which considers the human scale will result in a connection to these natural elements.

  Also, consideration for the activities which occur organically in conjunction with the proposed activities will result in a design that works for current users and will hopefully attract new users. Using plants to appeal to people’s senses and incorporating seasonal variety to create new situations at different times of the year can be an attraction in itself, increase the public’s respect for a space and improve the quality of a neighbourhood.

  Vegetation can also be used to create intimate spaces that provide a sense of privacy while still having a connection to the public. It is idealistic to believe that all groups can exist in a public space. When creating premier spaces with increased activity levels, it is important that new activities do not clash with existing ones.

  Ordering of a space can allow all these relationships to exist in harmony. Vegetation becomes a useful device to soften the relationship boundaries rather than aggressively barricading them out. Parc de Bercy in Paris is a hugely successful premier park which caters for a number of different groups and multiple programs. It has a variety of well maintained themed gardens. These gardens create opportunities for people to sit, linger, walk and run with a variety of landscape treatments providing delight at every turn.

  On the opposite side of Parc de Bercy is a large sports arena and education facilities. These blend beautifully into an open landscape which leads to more intimate connections. All of these spaces are connected visually and through a series of both hardscape and softscape elements. Part of the park’s success is the creation of distinct areas which seamlessly blend into one another. Its edges blend effortlessly into a successful commercial area, museums and the main road along the Seine. This creates strong, secure visual connection to the surrounding area and attracts people into the park from all directions.

  There are a number of specific factors contributing to the success of urban parks and their continuation and consideration as premier public spaces, a few of which have been lightly touched on in this discussion. When evaluating the success of a city, it is critical that we consider the relationships between the public and their public spaces. People have a right to their city and actions which promote exclusion are not only socially damaging to the community but damaging to how our cities are perceived.

  Cities fail when the desires of the individual become more valuable than that of the collective public. Fortunately many of our City Councils have acknowledged this and are initiating programs and procedures to ensure the rights of the public are not reduced to a token gesture.

• Sustainablity in Practice

  

  Tuesday Mar 16, 2010

  The notion of a sustainable community is for many an ideal, an ethereal vision of the future. The reality of creating one in the present involves hard work, collective effort and dedication. Factors which are likely to deter the average busy New Zealander.

  The people of Paremoremo, led by Barb Cooper and a team of devoted enthusiasts have proven that the ideal is not only possible but extremely doable.

  For the past two years over 70 families have been working together to make a difference. In this time the Paremoremo community has initiated a neighbourhood watch program, rid the local environment of pests and noxious weeds, improved their public transport and created an organic garden and garden club at the local school.

  This list of Paremoremo successes is not comprehensive but is useful for demonstrating the focus of the community’s efforts to learn more about their natural environment and how to live more resourcefully within it. This requires local environmental experts to share their knowledge, experts like Mark Read.

  Mark is a lead designer at Natural Habitats. With 20 years of experience and many award winning gardens to his name, Mark was able to provide landscape and environmental advice to residents through free seminars and was also able to contribute to Forest and Bird and Neighbourhood Support initiatives.

  The community is kept up to date on learning sessions and other free workshops via the local newsletter, the Pare Publisher. It seems to have found a wider audience. Last month the people of Paremoremo won the Sustainable Communities Award, part of Auckland Regional Council’s annual Sustainable Environment Achievement Awards. It goes to show that sustainability is not an ideal, it is an action and a many small actions create a reaction.

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