'Untamed' urban courtyard garden takes top landscape award
For many years, structured formal gardens have dominated our idea of what makes a beautiful residential landscape design. But that is changing, as the idea of rewilding and encouraging nature and pollination takes hold. Its a theme expounded by Sir David Attenborough in his book A Life on Our Planet, My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future the idea of restoring and expanding biodiverse spaces to mitigate the effects of climate change. And this years winner of the Supreme Award for Best Landscape Project of the Year is a small urban courtyard garden in Point Chevalier, Auckland that takes this notion to heart. The landscape, by Second Nature Landscapes, also won the Premier Best Horticulture of the Year Award in the Registered Master Landscapers New Zealand Landscape of Distinction Awards in Dunedin on Saturday, September 2. And landscape designer Andy Hamilton Studio won Best Sustainable Design for the project. Created for a new property built on the back garden of a 1920s villa, the courtyard is compact and built within a limited budget with no compromise on quality or feelings of lightness and space. The project includes flowering plants, herbs and fruit trees, to provide both aesthetic pleasure and sources of food for the client, and for bees and other insects, supporting pollination in a community garden to the rear of the property. Award judges said the design of the small, elegant, urban courtyard demonstrates a rare sophistication and is in perfect harmony with the architecture. There is a genuine attempt to reduce the footprint associated with this garden, as evidenced by the high levels of permeability, careful material selection and a desire to support pollinator species. There is an exceptional interest in plants for their own sake, and these have been combined with a sure hand. The courtyard demonstrates how even a small space can be designed to bring people and nature together in a truly delightful way. Diva Landscapes won the Premier Best Garden Maintenance Award for Millbrook Sanctuary in Arrowtown. The property enjoys a prominent position overlooking a tranquil waterway and golf course, yet privacy is maintained with carefully selected planting and landscaping. The garden is semi-formal and structured, in keeping with Millbrook Resorts palette of mainly native species, with exotic trees lending vertical height and a splash of autumn colour in a parkland setting. The award judges said extensive plant knowledge, combined with a maintenance regime that demonstrates an exceptional degree of sensitivity and attention to detail, has led to a garden that effectively supports and enhances the overall design intent. The combination of formality and informality creates fluid movement throughout the garden. The strong well-clipped visual elements are balanced by more playful plantings and well-managed stepping-stone paths. The maintenance team is commended for their skilful handling of every aspect of plant management. This garden seems flawless yet is delightful, engaging and a joy to be in. Goom Landscapes in Christchurch won the Premier Best Design Award for a Merivale, Christchurch project titled The Vibe. The judges said one of the most outstanding features of this project is the incorporation of white lines, which skilfully create shelter without compromising the influx of natural light into the house. The crowning jewel is the bespoke louvre- style roof, using glass and slats, to provide control over the amount of sunlight and shade. A cosy gas fire instantly transforms the outdoor area into a welcoming sanctuary during chilly evenings, for either relaxed solitude or socialising. Goom Landscapes also won the Judges Special Recognition Award for a Heritage project with Mid-century Cool, a landscape for a Fendalton property that seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor living spaces. The outdoor living space created goes beyond aesthetics, offering functionality that enhances everyday life, the judges noted. Whether to relax with a book in a cosy corner, entertain guests in an inviting patio area, or become immersed in nature's tranquillity, this stunning design has it all. They said they loved the way the deceptively simple design demonstrates a clear appreciation and thorough understanding of the Mid-century aesthetic. The sensitive insertion of new landscape features, coupled with the meticulous renovation of the circular staircase and upper deck are in total harmony with the architecture of the house. This relationship is further augmented by the new ground-level deck, the shape of which complements and captures the era of the home by replicating the saw-tooth roof pitch. Nice Pozi Landscapes, in Wellington, won the Premier Best Construction Award for Titahi Bay Playcentre. Built for a community charity in Porirua, with extremely humbling expectations, Nice Pozi was quick to decide a full design service would be donated in the hopes something special would be produced for the local centre that would blow locals out of the water. The project included a collection of custom features, including a 100-year-old reclaimed totara log channel salvaged from a historic Wairarapa sheep station, in-situ concrete sculpted water fountain coined the wiggle, and an up-specd wide stainless-steel slide. Local boulders sourced and placed by hand from Te Awa Kairangi and the re-conditioning of an historic space rocket are other special features. The end result is an outstanding interactive play space delivered for the tamariki and whanau of Titahi Bay Playcentre. The judges said a supreme effort of construction nous was used throughout this project, with thoughtful consideration given to facilitate the wide variety play activities of young children. Onlandscape took out the Peoples Choice Award for the third Year running, with more than 4000 votes for their work on a Clyde Road, Christchurch property. Stand-out features included curved stone clad walls using recycled stone from the Christchurch earthquakes, different areas for sitting and relaxing, changing elevations, floating timber steps and a much-loved grass track for the familys grandchildren.