Isthmus Group

30/01/2023

Tāmaki Makaurau remains under a state of emergency with more rain on the way. Thankfully everyone at Isthmus is safe and nobody has been seriously affected by Friday’s deluge. With widespread damage in the city, more rain on the way, and emergency management urging people to stay at home, we will keep our Queen Street studio closed this week.

Health, safety and wellbeing is top priority at Isthmus and our resilience plan ensures we are prepared for the unexpected—everyone has a laptop and can work from home.

We hope you and your whānau are also safe and dry. These events illustrate the impact of climate change on our urban environments. Isthmus are collaborating with clients and consultants across the motu on projects that help make our cities more resilient, reduce carbon emissions, and mitigate the effects of global heating.

Kopupaka Reserve provides infrastructure for the attenuation and detention of stormwater run-off. Voted World Landscape of the Year in 2016 by the World Architecture Festival, we hope it has performed well in these exceptional circumstances.

12/01/2023

Matt Jones, ELP Mentor.

Matt has been with Isthmus for 14 years; currently he holds the role of both Principal Design Planner and Tāmaki Studio Leader. As a leader Matt says ‘I’m a considerate listener and take the time to understand what I am being told. This helps me stay present and focused on what is being asked of me. I’m also empathetic and can often read people’s emotions. This helps me understand how they are feeling which helps me to better facilitate other’s needs’.

Being a mentor on the Emerging Leaders Programme has been an invaluable experience for Matt, ‘I’ve been refreshed by the whole process. I’ve been able to re-evaluate myself as a leader, challenge my own thinking and actions, and gain further confidence and reassurance in my leadership abilities. I’ve also learnt we have enthusiastic, curious and fantastic talent in our midst’.

Sharing his advice for future leaders Matt says, ‘We need to shift our focus to real issues that matter and relate to all, such as people (culture) and wellbeing, climate, environment and economic. We tend to get caught up in many petty matters that seem important at the time but are in fact a distraction and energy can be put in the wrong places. The greatest piece of advice I received was incredibly simple, but very effective—always be proud to be yourself’.

10/01/2023

A summer spent with the people we love in the places that ground us has us energised for the year ahead. Last year we grew our whānau across all disciplines and moved into two new studios that nurture our people and process.

We’d love to see you in our spaces—our whare is your whare—to design and learn with you. We invite you to use our studios as a space to co-host an event that celebrates shared learning, projects , networking, or simply stop by for a coffee or kapu tī.

Mā te wā!

04/12/2022

This year we launched our inaugural Emerging Leaders Programme—Te Tūngoungou (The Chrysalis)—designed to add depth in leadership across the studio by growing, supporting and elevating our future leaders.

Eight participants were selected for their alignment to the programme purpose, their leadership ambition and evidence of already developing core leadership competencies. These participants were supported by four mentors, coaching two participants each.

As we hoped, the programme has seen the participants gain confidence, a sense of purpose and find their place within the spectrum of leadership in Isthmus and the industry. The emerging leaders all now understand their strengths, opportunities, and preferences as a leader; apply a growth mindset when faced with challenges; demonstrate openness and vulnerability; foster stronger relationships; and approach leadership conversations with confidence and compassion.

Te Tūngoungou has been captured in a publication that shares leadership stories from participants and mentors. We will share some of their insights over the coming weeks.

30/11/2022

Te Atamira a Te Iwi creates space for people, on the streets of Te Whanganui-a-Tara. In collaboration with Wellington City Council we worked to design, develop, and install vibrant parklets in street parking spaces to encourage community claim back space for people and activity.

Working with constructors we developed a low-cost, easy-to-build system that would be compliant and adaptable to a range of uses. A key outcome of the project for Wellington City Council was to develop a new framework incorporating lessons learned, for businesses to apply for parklets on a more permanent basis. We are very pleased to see next generation parklets now reclaiming the streets for people in central Wellington.

We wanted to create a vibrant inner-city refuge that stood out against the urban backdrop and busy streetscape. It was also important to create an identity for the platforms that would be recognisable as they moved around the city.

We were delighted to have this acknowledged recently, with the project being awarded a Resene Total Colour Award in the Installation category.

What the judges said:

“Here today moved tomorrow, this inviting and energetic temporary space stands in contrast to the streetscape. Cleverly designed for adaptability in location, multipurpose use and access, it boldly celebrates repurposing street space for all to enjoy. The strong triangular forms and distinct colouration are delightful and make it a memorable bright spot to seek out in the city.”

Thank you to our partners, clients and collaborators who helped bring this little project with a big impact to life; Wellington City Council, Gap Filler, Drew James, and Downer NZ.

22/11/2022

Last Friday we celebrated the architecture of Aotearoa at the 2022 New Zealand Architecture Awards—alongside clients, collaborators, partners and peers. The quality of work was outstanding, and we were thrilled to receive awards for both of our shortlisted projects—Ōmarukaikuru and Te Wānanga.

Thanks to all those involved in making these two transformative public spaces a reality, and thanks to Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects for bringing the industry together to celebrate the design that is shaping our country.

Ōmarukaikuru—what the judges said:

A small-scale intervention that is part of a larger masterplan, this project provides much needed connection to the water’s edge at the city’s fringe, as well as a safe path for pedestrians and cyclists along a tight site. There are a range of spaces for transiting pedestrians and cyclists, as well as places to pause and connect with the coastal environment. Materials and details balance robustness and delicacy and are fit for purpose as they age gracefully in the severe marine environment.

Te Wānanga—what the judges said:

A successful outcome of a complex brief with many stakeholders involved. The result mediates the conversation between the city and its water’s edge, integrating and embedding elements of Māori design in the narrative outcome. The project closes the gap between large-scale urban planning moves and the intricate, small-scale details required for its success. There is joy and delight in the ways the project engages with the water, allowing for the transition of commuters across the site, as well as catering for children at play and the young at heart.

15/11/2022

That’s a wrap!

We are excited to be hosting the Design Assembly NZ End of Year Wrap at our Te Whanganui-a-Tara studio. Join your fellow creatives and enjoy a drink and some nibbles while we share our design experiences of 2022 and celebrate the start of summer.

December 1, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.
Tickets are limited, link below.

Join your fellow designers and creatives to share our experiences of this year and celebrate the start of summer! This is a low-key networking event for members of our Design Assembly community and beyond, hosted by our good Design Assembly Friends at Isthmus. Your ticket will gain you entry into Is...

01/11/2022

Type as Monument: an evening with Alistair McCready.

The Society of Experiential Graphic Design, Design Assembly and Isthmus invite you to an evening exploring typographic design and its history with Alistair McCready from Monolith.

Join us at our Tāmaki studio, 246 Queen Street, from 5:30pm onwards for drinks and nibbles, with Alistair’s talk starting at 6pm. There will be an opportunity to mix and mingle afterwards.

Thursday 17th November, 5:30pm.

Register here:

Type as Monument – join the SEGD Tāmaki Makaurau chapter for an evening with Alistair McCready from Monolith.

29/10/2022

Napier Landscape Study—Resource Management and Strategic Planning Award of Excellence at the 2022 NZILA Awards.

Qualities that set the Napier Landscape Study apart are the clarity with which it presents landscape concepts and the vividness with which demonstrates those concepts in practice. It demonstrates integration of tangata whenua perspectives alongside western perspectives, the integration of associative aspects, and the application of a landscape approach to both rural and urban settings.

At first glance, Napier does not meet conventional notions of landscape significance. It is largely urbanised, flat, and backdropped by modest hills. Yet Napier has an extraordinary ‘sense of place’. The Study demonstrates the landscape characteristics that underpin such sense of place and that are valued by people in often ordinary landscapes. It highlights characteristics and qualities that might otherwise be overlooked by a more conventional approach.

What the judges said:

The Napier Landscape Study demonstrates an approach to this kind of work that pushes the boundaries. The study has encouraged the client into doing something unexpected and going beyond the brief. The outcome is a very accessible and engaging study, which is clearly landscape-led and addressing a technical landscape topic. However, it goes beyond this technical requirement and makes the landscape more broadly understandable for the wider public and, importantly, decision makers, policy planners and elected representatives.

It is a timely example of a landscape-led approach to spatial planning (in the context of upcoming RMA reforms) under Te Tangi a te Manu, with loose graphics helpful in telling and documenting the landscape story in an easily understood publication. It takes landscape analysis beyond GIS mapping into a realm that eloquently paints a picture of Napier’s sense of place, as experienced by locals and visitors. The project demonstrates the way design communication incorporating a diverse range of media is a critical tool in articulating landscape values.

Napier City Council - Te Kaunihera o Ahuriri,

28/10/2022

Tahitai—one tide, one journey—is the name gifted by Taranaki Whānui for the 7km spectacular harbour-side route connecting Wellington’s central city to Motu Kairangi / Miramar Peninsula and the Eastern Suburbs.

This new path celebrates the taonga of Akau Tangi and The Whanganui a Tara, and forms part of Te Aranui o Pōneke / the Great Harbour Way—a vision to link the entirety of the Wellington Harbour coastline with high quality walking and cycling paths. Competition for space required a pragmatic and place-based approach to balance making the journey safer and more enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities with private cars, freight, and public transport. Modular precast retaining wall blocks draw on the forms of the natural rock formations of Ōmarukaikuru, and provide vertical separation between the paths and lookout areas—their careful choreography creates a dramatic pattern. Hardy planting accents the experience—separating walking and cycling pathways and adding variance that highlights the unique reclaimed coastal environment and the dynamic habitat it provides.


What the judges said:

Tahitai works with a tight material palette to keep the design well-integrated and cohesive. The length of the project offers both variety and unity, giving constantly changing experiences while at the same time providing a coordinated edge along the waterfront. Level changes are explored in ways which add richness to the coastal landscape, and which place users in intriguing relationships with the landscape around them. At some points the user might be thrust out into the exhilarating space beyond the safety of the cycleway, and at other locations tucked back into a tussocky refuge.

The project harnesses the site’s opportunities, working with and around existing sculptures as focal points along the journey. Tahitai offers not just a safe walking and cycling route but also a series of destinations that add value and unlock additional potential of a popular coastal trail with honest and purposeful interventions.

27/10/2022

Te Tangi a te Manu—Research and Communication Joint Category Winner at the 2022 NZILA Awards.

In response to a long-recognised need for agreed, consistent landscape assessment guidelines for Aotearoa New Zealand Te Tangi a te Manu was written in 2020 by Gavin Lister, Rachel de Lambert, and Alan Titchener. The guidelines are now widely accessible to the profession and other readers through the publication of a visually compelling 285 page book by Tuia Pito Ora, New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects. Designed by Isthmus, this publication elevates the guidelines through a confident, concise editorial approach that simplifies the reader’s experience.

The quality and depth of content within this publication reflects the collective will and generosity of many individuals. It has value that could’ve only been achieved in this way.

What the judges said:

Well-researched and thoroughly documented, the book takes the profession along on the journey of updating our earlier guidelines which were no longer fit for purpose and lacking in rigour. Te Tangi a te Manu responds to a challenging remit from the courts that had become frustrated by the lack of common methodology and vast differences in opinions reached by practitioners. The result of this long and detailed collaboration provides much more than was expected, laying down a challenge to the profession to move forward with purpose and deliver a distinctive Aotearoa New Zealand approach to landscape assessment.

Te Tangi a te Manu is likely to be of value outside Aotearoa bringing a wealth of understanding of how landscape architects should be assessing landscapes in the future.

25/10/2022

Maungawhau Tihi Boardwalk—Parks, Open Spaces and Recreation Winner at the 2022 NZILA Awards.

The Maungawhau Tihi boardwalk project sits quietly, recessively, simply protecting and amplifying the most essential element; the Maunga and experience of this truly unique landscape. Underpinned by Tūpuna Maunga Authority's core values and management plans, and integrated landscape planning, it addresses pressing land use and cultural challenges and reaffirms the value and purpose of landscape architecture.

The brief called for a design solution which accommodated and protected the Maunga from growing popularity, whilst not detracting from its complex of earthwork structures, expressive volcanic form, and to enhance the experience as a journey. Our response to this challenging brief through a recessive boardwalk design has been refined at every stage of the process to result in a solution of simplicity and clarity.

What the judges said:

The Maungawhau Tihi Boardwalk which sits high above Tāmaki Makaurau exhibits restraint in design which ensures that the values of the maunga it sits on and the protection of wahi tapū have been given priority. The ethos of the construction assembly and simplicity of materials have resulted in a site which is uncluttered and allows the landscape to speak for itself.

Read more about the Maungawhau Tihi Boardwalk on our website. Link in bio.

Auckland Council