We collaborate with clients, communities, technical consultants, and other creative disciplines in an open and collaborative dialogue.

Black and white still of LandLAB design studio in Auckland, New Zealand

STUDIO

Papa Mahi

About

We are an award wining, design-led and studio-based practice operating at the intersection of ecology, landscape and urban design. Founded in 2013 our studios now have 18 talented urbanists, landscape architects, makers and doers, devoted to creating meaningful places and spaces.

Values

We see landscape and ecology as models for both form and process. We are interested in the narrative potential of landscape, connecting people with place, forms that tell stories and processes that engage land, water and people.

Land (Whenua) - we seek to reveal underlying urban morphologies, landscape structures, and natural processes that enable inclusive, accessible, and adaptive spaces that cater to diverse communities, support climate adaption, and promote well-being

Water (Moana) - we embrace the critical sustainable practices of catchment management, green infrastructure, and stormwater strategies that enhance and utilise water systems as resources for design, recreation, ecological restoration, climate adaptation and fostering well-being.

People (Tangata) - we create meaningful and inclusive environments that reflect the diverse needs of communities, enabling belonging and empowering people to actively engage in the evolution of their landscapes.

Approach

Our approach integrates a site-specific approach (‘Land’) with a creative and rigorous design process (‘LAB’). Our work reflects our interrogation of the relationships between the ecologies and systems of urbanism, landscape and place.

Urbanism (Tāone) - we seek to reveal underlying urban morphologies, landscape structures, and natural processes to inform urban and infrastructural outcomes.

Landscape (Taiao) - we use landscape and ecology as lenses through which to interrogate and generate site-specific and design-led responses.

Place (Wāhi) - we adopt a place and people-centred approach that engages connection, participation and stewardship

Team meeting in the LandLAB office

Land + Water + People converge to define the way we plan, experience, and design urban environments.

TEAM

Kapa

Team shot of the LandLAB designers and architects

Year Founded

2003

Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland

Offices

We are LandLAB

18

Number of Staff

Naarm, Melbourne Victoria

Jeremy Thompson
Joseph Aldridge
Sam Gould
Scott Greenhalgh 
Suyi Gan
Troy Fan
Yichen Liu 

Henry Crothers
Alexander Luiten 
Anna Bish
Bela Grimsdale
Cory Manson
Ethan Reid 
Izzy Ussher

Two architects reviewing designs in a studio together
Two architects drawing up plans in the LandLAB studio

SERVICES

Integrated Urbanism + Landscape + Place
Design Leadership + Management
Landscape Led Urbanism for Communities + Precincts + Campus’s
Public Spaces + Streets + Open Spaces
Waterfronts + Marine Ecology + Coastal Resilience
Green Infrastructure + WSUD + Climate Adaption
Transport Infrastructure + Bridges + Structures
Project Visualisation + Communication
Co-Design + Collaboration + Engagement

AFFILIATIONS

New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA)                        
Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA)
Urban Design Forum (UDF) New Zealand                  
Urban Design Forum (UDF) Australia
Urban Design Forum (UDF) NYC
Infrastructure NZ (INZ)
Living Futures Institute (AU)                                                  
New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) 
Regenesis Institute (USA)                                                                
Sustainable Business Network (SBN) New Zealand 
Toitu Carbon Zero

AWARDS

A selection of some of our recent Awards, Acknowledgements and Achievements.

  • 2024 NZILA Civic + Urban Landscapes, Putahi Whakatetonga - South Frame (Category Winner)

    2024 DINZ Best Awards ‘Quay Street Upgrade’ (GOLD)

    2024 DINZ Best Awards ‘Queen Street Tactical Urbanism’

    2024 DINZ Best Awards ‘Microsoft Plaza’

  • 2023 South Island Property Awards - Urban Design, Putahi Whakatetonga - South Frame

    Wakatu Quay Masterplan World Architecture Festival - Future Project Civic - Finalist

  • BEST Awards Spatial GOLD - Tank Park

    Monocle Magazine International Design Awards - Tank Park

    NZILA Award of Excellence - Quay Street Upgrade

    NZILA Award of Excellence - Amey Daldy Park

    NZILA Award of Excellence - Daldy Street Linear Park

    NZILA Award of Excellence - Tank Park

    NZILA Award of Excellence - Auckland Downtown Program

    Sirius Waterfront International Design Competition - Winner

    WAN Awards - Tank Park

  • BEST Awards Spatial GOLD - Westhaven Promenade

    BEST Awards Spatial GOLD - Karangahape Road

    BEST Awards Spatial - Commercial Bay Sky Terraces

    BEST Awards Spatial - Te Mata Topaki

    BEST Awards Spatial - Amey Daldy Park

    NZIA Award Urban Design - Long Bay Village

    NZIA Auckland Architecture Award - Tank Park

    Dezeen Awards, Landscape Project Award – Amey Daldy Park

  • BEST Awards Product - Commercial Bay Sculptural Seat

    BEST Awards Spatial GOLD - Lombard Lane + Denton Park

    BEST Awards Spatial GOLD - Viaduct Activation Interventions

    WAN Awards Spatial - Tank Park

    Dezeen Awards, Infrastructure Project – Vaughans Stream Corridor

    Gelendzhik Botanical Park International Competition - Winner

  • NZILA Supreme Award - Te Papa Ōtākaro Avon River Park

    NZILA Category Winner - Te Papa Ōtākaro Avon River Park

    NZILA Award of Excellence - Viaduct Promenade Interventions

    NZILA Award of Excellence - Ponsonby PARK+

    NZILA Award of Excellence - Vaughans Stream Corridor, Long Bay

    NZILA Award of Excellence - Queenstown Town Centre Masterplan

    NZILA Award of Excellence - Access to Water, Tauranga Waterfront

    BEST Awards Spatial GOLD - Vaughans Stream Corridor

    BEST Awards Spatial GOLD - Avon River Park + Promenade

    WLA Award - 'Islands - Motutere'

  • WAN Award - Ponsonby PARK+ (Civic Project)

    WAF Awards - Ponsonby PARK+ (shortlisted)

    WAF Awards - 'Islands - Motutere' (shortlisted)

    WAF Awards - Queenstown Masterplan (shortlisted)

    IPWEA Award - Queenstown Masterplan

    Bay of Plenty Property Council Award - Tauranga Waterfront

    BEST Awards - Te Papa Ōtākaro/Avon River Precinct Literary Trail

    BEST Awards Ngā Aho Award – Avon River Park Nga Whāriki Manaaki

    BEST Awards Environmental – Avon River Park Nga Whāriki Manaaki

  • LABC Tripartite Award - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    NZILA Award Infrastructure - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    NZILA Award Public Space - Westhaven Promenade

    Denizen Heroes Award - LandLAB

    WLA Award - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

  • NZILA Award for Public Architecture - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    NZILA National Public Architecture Award - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    WAF Infrastructure Category Winner - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    WAF Infrastructure Award - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    BEST Awards Supreme Spatial Winner - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    BEST Awards Public GOLD - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    BEST Awards Spatial GOLD - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    BEST Awards Public Good GOLD - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    IPWEA NZ Excellence Awards - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    Architizer A+ Awards - Te Ara I Whiti, Light Path

    Phaidon, 30:30 Landscape Architecture – Emerging Design Practice

  • NZILA Award Sustainability - Daldy Street Linear Park

    NZILA Award Urban Spaces - Karanga Plaza

    NZIA Award Urban Design - Karanga Plaza

    NZIA Award Urban Design - Wynyard Quarter Masterplan

    2014

    NZIA Planning + Urban Design Winner – Karanga Plaza + Halsey Wharf

    NZILA Urban Design Award – Karanga Plaza and Halsey Wharf

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

  • For press and media inquiries, please contact studio@landlab.co.nz

  • To have LandLAB engage in a lecture or speaking engagements, panel debates or placemaking conferences, please enquire here studio@landlab.co.nz

  • We are always looking out for talent and skills, both young and experienced. We’re also always interested in hearing about relevant partners and their capabilities please enquire here studio@landlab.co.nz

For new business and project inquiries, contact us

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

LandLAB acknowledges the multi-cultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand and the partnership between Tāngata Whenua (indigenous / iwi Māori) and Tāngata Tiriti (people of the Treaty) through the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Tino Rangatiratanga (Māori political independence) and the status of Tāngata Whenua as Treaty partners. We acknowledge that we live and work within the lands of tāngata whenua who hold the mana, and deep ancestral relationship with the taiao (natural environment) which is intrinsically linked to their wellbeing and cultural identity.

LandLAB acknowledges and respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Elders, past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, tradition and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of this land. We recognise the continuing connection First Nations people have to their lands in which we work.