SEASON 2016
sional practice. During my year there I worked on
many urban design projects including the King’s Cross
Development and it was fascinating to see how strong
design can have such a positive impact on community
and lifestyle.
B: My first was actually in Switzerland. I had a few
days or stints with a local landscape architect collecting plant information for North Florida (below)
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B: When I put my finger on the
map, I did inevitably land the
farthest away from the states
you could get. I found that the
design culture here in the country was quite enticing. Isthmus
completed the story, by designing projects that spread across
the country answering not only
SOPHIE FISHER
the aesthetics of the profession,
but the finesse, technique, and
inspirational qualities.
Do you have a professional hero/idol/inspiration?
before that, but the true knock-me-off-my-feet job
was with Verzone Woods in Rougemont; a multidisciplinary firm, with registered architects, planners and
landscape architects, in the rural Alps. My task was to
consider the dense urban towns, and growing Swiss
population at a range of scales. VW put a lot of emphasis on the study of environments, ecologies, and
systems in design implementation.
What brought you to Isthmus, and what projects are
you working on now?
S: Having just graduated I was keen to gain experience
working abroad and in a different cultural setting. I
was attracted to Isthmus because I really admire their
ethos of design, range of projects and quality of delivery. Having only joined three weeks ago I have been
slotting into different projects and getting an insight
into their studio and design processes. I have spent
some time working on Hobsonville Point- it has been
interesting to learn and get a greater understanding
about such an iconic masterplan.
J: Quite a few people ask me this and I don’t have
an exact answer, perhaps it was just that gut feeling
all those years ago that lead me here. Since joining
isthmus I’ve been involved (in some way or another)
in about 38 projects so far, ranging from landscape
assessments to waterfront designs and ever New
Zealand military work. It’s challenging but I love it.
S: A favourite project is the post-industrial landscape of Duisburg-Nord in Germany by Latz+Partner.
I love the way balance has been achieved between
the retention of its industrial core and the regeneration of functional and beautiful spaces, whilst in the
process remediating a landscape
that was subject to such a heavy
disturbance. I have always been
inspired by the work of Jan Gehl.
The importance of designing
livable cities with a pedestrian
focus is exampled throughout
his work and demonstrates that
health, wellbeing and interactive
environments are products of
BRENNAN BAXLEY
designing successful spaces at a
human scale.
B: My idol would have to be the one landscape architect who takes into consideration everything that can
be... treated. In our profession we must take enrichment, knowledge, and practice from so many angles,
and generate a respectable project. I could name
drop, or spend time talking about all those who have
propelled me throughout my career (and still do), but
daily I am inspired by the practitioners, students,and
scholars around me.
JAMES PATTULLO
J: I definitely don’t have a hero
or an idol but I draw inspiration
from nearly everywhere. I work
visually so I keep a visual record
of every little biddy-bid, detail,
texture, or structure I find.
It’s surprising how often I draw
on this archive to help find
solutions.