This new greenfield site in Albany has a campus feel with a pattern of courtyards, rain gardens and circulation. Creative use of level change with audience terraces out from the performing arts centre. Staged progress with large pedestrian and vehicle spaces, sports fields, and a robust enduring landscape character.

Patrick Corfe Landscape Architects were part of the early masterplanning team that initiated the broad layout and followed through on several stages of development. This enabled the sustained objective to make the college grounds a learning park. Integrated into the layout were a number of themes, some obvious and others to be discovered, which had been woven into the fabric of the college campus.
The buildings were interrupted by a grid established in the landscape. Its trees and paving, shrubs and flaxes provide structured contrast to the architecture. The main spine was broken with a ‘virtual forest’ arrival space and the building pattern broken buy the ‘virtual stream’ linking down to the playing fields and wetlands. Large rounded boulders also served to introduce random rocks, in clusters thought and particularly edging the stream and college Marae. The Marae forecourt and several hard spaces were balanced with softer, green areas including a small Titoki enclosed teaching court.

Introduced into the paving were symbols and patterns, the golden rectangle and aspects of measurements, proportion and distance to provide mathematical stimulus. With upper level walkways and second storey open corridors much of the open space is overlooked and alongside good incidental surveillance provides for spectators, games and events activity. Transparency objectives focus on clear stem trees and low planting with definite areas of dense revegetation and stream side plantings. Stormwater is harvested and directed to the wetlands area with ponds and riparian plantings.

The landscape has a special quality that invites exploration and provides a comfortable and robust environment for learning.

Kings Chapel College Close project opened in 2012 in association with Kay and Keys Architects Ltd.
PCLA provided a landscape that linked in with The Memorial Chapels’ location and orientation as a fundamental landmark of the college and its strong Anglican origins. The design builds upon the identity and heritage quality of the campus by retaining the chapel as the centrepiece of the campus and providing additional scope for ‘spiritual education’ associated with the chapel. The intimate, verdant courtyard contrasts with the other more open college quadrangles and provides a distinct retreat from the ebb and flow of everyday activity that is appropriate to its relationship with the Chapel.

PCLA were employed as landscape architects for the Centennial Project at King’s School, Remuera with Warren and Mahoney (WAM) the lead consultant architect.  The proposals included the three sides of the new complex, including:

–  Portland Road access and street frontage
–  North lawn and building terrace forecourt
–  Kerridge block link towards The Towers

These three pedestrian spaces dealt with hard surfacing, level change, circulation and planting to extend well established themes with the new development.  The pattern of planters and steps repeated the materiality and rhythm of the architecture and reinforced the campus/collegiate identity of the school.

Patrick’s strong, bold approach featuring a “snakes and ladders” theme won this design competition.  A lively, creative use of level change to establish a link between play and learning.  The design focuses on a game of movement and transition through the pedestrian heart of the campus.  A thoroughfare doubles as an event space and open amphitheatre where steps, terraces, planters and seat tables platforms enable varied gathering sizes.  The new landscape promises to be robust and flexible and a great opportunity for incidental learning, play and imaginative games options.  The area is overlooked and allows for spill out activity, outdoor learning and primarily a social space for the college.

The north campus has a special quality with large open spaces and a strong pedestrian character brought about by sustained external expansion over an extended period. Patrick Corfe Landscape Architects was involved with multiple development stages at MIT. Eight separate projects of which 5 related to expansion of the north campus at Otara. This provided continuity and integration of the Masterplan and landscape integration alongside a range of work including: Early childhood centre, business studies complex, student amenities building, administration block surrounds, student accommodation village and a multi storey carpark facility.

Works involved preparation of detailed plans for all civic areas between buildings. Building configuration to contribute usable civic space for amenity purposes. Discipline car circulation and parking to retain selected areas as courtyards and socializing space develop a strong thematic character to link diverse built structures and unify open space. Provision of street furniture for amenity areas and comprehensive planting structure offer canopy structures as multifunctional shelters for sitting, bike racks, shelter and general amenity unique design theme: “Landscape for Learning. “ Introducing amenity areas and space to socialize and interact into extensive new development.

The new Student Amenities Centre landscape at the Massey campus in Albany provides a social hub for the university students and teachers alike. Officially opened in March 2012.

The plaza surfaces, low terraced lawns and trees respond to the merging of the axial nature of expansion. Large slabs of green lawn and an uncluttered open space which is designed to host impromptu performance and events and offer a prominent pedestrian core to the campus. As a departure from the dominant vehicle presence, this open space provides a forecourt to the new centre and a hub for pedestrian activity.

Flat grass terraces integrate changing levels and provide a notion of collegiate quadrangle lawns. These open spaces are available and intend to retain the open pastoral context the campus originated from. Unrestricted views offer internal orientation and an outlook to both bush and wider Albany development. This plaza offers a flexible meeting place and marks a shift in the identity and character of the campus. At the heart of a masterplan of long-term expansion the space provides a permanent setting for open and informal interaction and student life.

PCLA supported Warren and Mahoney (WAM) on the associated games dining hall and accommodation village complex with the pedestrian areas, amenities and landscape treatment.  The robust modular repetition and dynamic roof shades and smaller shelters respond to the need for temperature modulation and also uplifting canopies in multiple village clusters.  The repetition also provides a sense of unity across the campus and bold patterning to lighten the 5,000 bedroom accommodation facility.

Accommodation blocks in the games village are connected by bridges and matching overhead canopy supports creating several courtyard with visual and physical connections/circulation.  The strong apex structures provide shade canopies and enclose the five communal gathering places.  The floating architectural forms are echoed by more primitive thatched hubs, four per court to enable separate and combined social groupings well away from accommodation edges.

Thatched angled shelters are supported by four timber poles with one of these carved with indigenous carvings.  The triangular geometry common in the indigenous art is fundamental to the broad concept of structure and landscape – and the pole motifs become central to each hub of concrete seating.  Low seating walls created shaded corners and focused diagonal routes through each courtyard.  The dynamic diagonal patterning reinforces the architectural forms and form a nucleus at the intersections, providing a social hub and centrepiece in each of the five separate courtyards.

(photo credit – Simon Devitt)

The college commissioned a revitalisation of all its internal spaces and focused expenditure on its central quadrangle. A series of open space circulation areas with a central quad area designed to link to the main hall – Clouston Hall. This retains a pedestrian nucleus with flexible vehicular access to the heart of campus. Shallow brick walls retained this level lawn and clay pavers continued a college them and brought colour into the space. Shape options were evaluated and trees chosen to canopy over a central sitting area and slope to sit on low walls and lawn edges. Vehicular access is retained in this stage to the perimeter of the lawn. This proposal sets the patterns for a gradual revitalisation of all this spaces between the buildings – using the furniture, brickwork, paving and planting established.