How do we build connections between communities and our landscapes, together?
Projects
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Eastern Hills Reservoir - LVA and Expert Evidence (2022 - 2024)
Prepare a landscape and visual assessment (LVA) and Expert Evidence for Wellington Water towards a proposed water reservoir in Lower Hutt.
Project completed with WSP.
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'Streets for People' Design Jam (2023)
Prepare methodology and lead co-design workshops with Aranui tamariki, so that local streetscape design delivers safer and more people-friendly streets that meet their needs, as well as their wider community.
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Botanic Gardens Entrance (2023)
A welcoming entrance to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, connecting the Peacock Fountain in the Gardens to the Arts Centre entrance.
Project completed while with WSP.
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Place Cadets - Te Kōmanawa Rowley School (2023)
Design and lead a child-centred co-design and build project with Year 6 tamariki. Co-construct three structures in their school playground, as part of the school’s technology curriculum.
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Place Cadets at Te Huarahi School (2023)
Design and lead a children’s co-design and build project with Year 2 tamariki. Co-design and construct two play structures in the children’s school playground, aligned with their cultural narrative, social studies and art curriculums.
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Akaroa Catholic Cemetery Extension (2023 - 2024)
Sensitive cemetery design for an extension to an historic and regionally significant cemetery, where many early pioneers who were instrumental in the establishment of Banks Peninsula are buried.
Project completed while with WSP.
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Greening the East Development Plan, Christchurch (2021)
Guide the development and enhancement of green spaces within the Inner City East suburbs of Christchurch - a document containing ‘guiding outcomes’ and specific actions to address the lack of green space and tree coverage in the neighbourhood.
Actions were approved for submission in the Christchurch City Council’s Long Term Plan.
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Place Cadets: Exploring Design Thinking (2020)
A two-week child-centred design and build project integrated into the OSCAR school holiday programme at Phillipstown Hub.
NZILA Category Winner 2022 - He Iti Pounamu (Small but Significant Value)
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Linwood Village Streetscape Enhancement (2020)
Develop a community-led co-design process to enable the Inner City East community to meaningfully participate in the enhancement of the Linwood Village streetscape and to test temporary ideas/prototypes for this purpose.
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Re-imagining Doris Lusk Reserve, Christchurch (2019)
Co-design and working party facilitation with the Inner City East community for the design and install of children’s interactive play art at Doris Lusk Reserve.
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Te Repo o Orariki, Taumutu (2014)
Landscape concept to re-establish wetland and complement the original pa site at Taumutu - a network of winding creeks with boardwalks, mahinga kai species and habitat for tuna, inanga and other locally important fish species.
Project completed while with Opus.
About
Gather is led by Wendy Hoddinott, a registered landscape architect who specialises in meaningful ways to connect people and places through design.
Wendy’s project experience spans large multi-disciplinary public space projects, landscape planning, ecological restoration, heritage and cultural landscapes as well as innovative co-design projects alongside councils, schools and communities.
In 2018 Wendy completed a PhD where she discovered that the best results occur when communities are involved in the same creative, collaborative and mutual learning process as the designer.
Wendy has applied these insights to numerous urban space projects and was a category winner in the 2022 NZILA Awards for Place Cadets, a project designing with children and youth.
Client feedback
“Wendy was a pleasure to work with throughout the entire project. We had a wide variety of stakeholders and her ability to listen to and understand all the different perspectives was commendable - it shows in what Wendy delivered. Those involved were impressed with the outcome and Wendy enhanced the project by achieving multiple objectives.”
Selena Robertson, Christchurch City Council Project Manager
“So great to see children involved … a great community building exercise and nice to give them a sense of ownership of the outcome. Love the design!”
Urbankind Studio
“Everybody thought this project was spectacular … You were approachable in your manner with the kids and open to following where they led. I think that’s really what hooked our kids in.”
Graeme Norman, Te Kōmanawa Rowley School Principal
"Wendy listens carefully, capturing people’s thoughts and ideas through creative, meaningful participation, reaching people who are not easily engaged by traditional methods of consultation.”
Jenny Smith, Te Whare Roimata Trust - Community Organisation