Landscape Design Company

Since 1982, Landscape Design Company has worked to build a reputation as one of New Zealand’s leading landscape design companies, winning a number of industry awards.

A strong commitment to fostering environmental empathy has led the company to focus on becoming a sustainable business.

From simple beginnings of recycling and composting waste paper to recently introducing a sustainability statement for each garden they design, Landscape Design Company are committed to “leading in the field of practical sustainable landscape design that inspires.”

The challenge

Landscaping traditionally uses a significant amount of concrete, imported hard structures and plants, which wastes significant energy through manufacture and travel. 

Landscape design involves transient fashions resulting in a short in-situ life span and previous material choices, such as hard surfacing, have not been designed to be recycled or reused.

Because private vehicles are the most popular form of transport in communities today, many clients require large paved areas in their plans to accommodate cars, and this significant use of concrete creates a challenge for Landscape Design Company.

Some responses

• Have been fundamental in the movement to incorporate New Zealand native trees into landscape designs.
• Clients are encouraged to incorporate edibles and designs that match local conditions into their garden to support ongoing sustainable behaviour.
• A life-cycle assessment approach is applied to resources sourced for design work as well as administration.
• Local contractors (country wide) are used and internal travel is limited by good communication.
• Emissions are measured and monitored with reduction being the key focus and offsetting through private tree planting.
• Materials are sourced as much as possible within the local area, thereby reducing travel miles and creating a strong local identity within gardens.

The results

• A 40 per cent reduction of tCO2 in diesel usage and a 35 per cent reduction in tC02 in petrol usage has been achieved in the financial year of 2008 – 2009, in comparison to the amount used in the previous year.
• Relationships are being built with suppliers and contractors who see sustainable policies as mutually beneficial. Changes are occurring in small increments but overall, a change in attitude to and acceptance of sustainable policies is positive.
• Many clients are interested to learn of their sustainable options, often choosing these options over conventional ones. Increasingly, clients are approaching Landscape Design Company as a result of our sustainable principles, particularly those incorporating sustainable design into their architecture.

Bay of Plenty Regional Awards judges' comments

• Landscape Design Company has a clear vision of the company’s future, design solutions to new challenges, and widely shares knowledge and experience with their suppliers and the general business community. 
• Sustainability is integrated into the core of their operations and the services provided; major resource use is measured and monitored and constant improvement is strived for to ensure progression towards their vision.