---
title: Landscape Architecture | CI Design, Christchurch
description: Landscape architecture for parks, schools, residential and commercial sites across New Zealand — sustainable, well-considered outdoor spaces designed from concept through to construction.
image: https://cidesign.nz/hubfs/Images/Logo/CI.Logo.png.png
---

×

Expertise

[CPTED & Accessibility](https://cidesign.nz/cpted-accessibility?hsLang=en) [Master Planning](https://cidesign.nz/master-planning?hsLang=en) [Landscape Architecture](https://cidesign.nz/landscape-architecture?hsLang=en) [Sustainable Solutions](https://cidesign.nz/sustainable-solutions?hsLang=en) [Design Consultancy](https://cidesign.nz/design-consultancy?hsLang=en) [Concept Design Management](https://cidesign.nz/concept-design-management?hsLang=en) 

[Projects](https://cidesign.nz/project?hsLang=en) [Insights](https://cidesign.nz/insights?hsLang=en) [Team](https://cidesign.nz/team?hsLang=en) [Contact](https://cidesign.nz/contact?hsLang=en) [Client Portal](https://cidesign.nz/contact?hsLang=en)

[![CI Design logo](https://cidesign.nz/hubfs/Images/Logo/CI.Logo.png.png) CI Design](https://www.cidesign.nz?hsLang=en)

- Expertise
  
  [View all services](https://cidesign.nz/service?hsLang=en) [CPTED & Accessibility](https://cidesign.nz/cpted-accessibility?hsLang=en) [Master Planning](https://cidesign.nz/master-planning?hsLang=en) [Landscape Architecture](https://cidesign.nz/landscape-architecture?hsLang=en) [Sustainable Solutions](https://cidesign.nz/sustainable-solutions?hsLang=en) [Design Consultancy](https://cidesign.nz/design-consultancy?hsLang=en) [Concept Design Management](https://cidesign.nz/concept-design-management?hsLang=en)
- [Projects](https://cidesign.nz/project?hsLang=en)
- [Insights](https://cidesign.nz/insights?hsLang=en)
- [Team](https://cidesign.nz/team?hsLang=en)
- [Contact](https://cidesign.nz/contact?hsLang=en)

[Client Portal](https://ci-project-view.lovable.app)

Service 02 · Outdoor space, designed to work

# Outdoor space that *earns* its place

Landscape architecture shapes how outdoor space actually works — planting, materials, drainage, access and amenity, resolved together so a site is sustainable, usable and true to its climate and character, not just landscaped after the fact.

[Talk to us about your site](https://cidesign.nz/contact?hsLang=en) [See all services](https://cidesign.nz/service?hsLang=en)

02

Where master planning becomes a real, buildable place

NZ

Planting and drainage chosen for local climate and soils

01

Considered from concept stage through to construction

What it is

## The layer that turns a plan into a place

Landscape architecture takes the framework set by a master plan and resolves it into a real, buildable outdoor space — grading, drainage, planting, materials, lighting and access, chosen to suit the site's climate, soils and the people who'll use it.

It's as much engineering as it is design: getting water, planting and hard surfaces to work together over decades, not just look right on the day it's finished.

Planting, drainage, materials and access, resolved together so a space holds up over decades

Who it's for

## Wherever outdoor space needs to do real work

Landscape architecture comes up wherever a site needs to be usable, resilient and considered — not just planted and paved once the building is done.

Councils & public realm

Parks, reserves and town centres where planting, drainage and amenity have to perform for decades of public use.

Schools & education

Playgrounds, sports facilities and grounds that need to be durable, shaded and genuinely usable year-round.

Residential developers

Subdivisions and shared space where street trees, planting and stormwater shape both liveability and value.

Commercial & retail

Entries, car parks and public-facing space where landscape sets the first impression and manages runoff.

Sport & recreation

Fields, courts and surrounds where surface, drainage and planting decisions directly affect usability.

Why it's worth doing properly

## What good landscape architecture actually buys you

Not just a nicer-looking site — a space that manages water, wears well, and costs less to maintain over its lifetime.

01

A space that performs

Planting, grading and materials chosen to suit the site's climate and use, not just how it photographs on day one.

02

Lower long-term maintenance

Right plant, right place, right surface — fewer replacements and call-backs once it's built.

03

Better stormwater management

Grading and planting designed to handle rainfall on site, rather than push the problem downstream.

04

Smoother council approval

Landscape plans prepared to the standard councils expect for consent, first time.

05

Genuine amenity

Shade, shelter and character that make a space somewhere people actually want to spend time.

06

One team, one thread

The same team carrying the vision from master plan through to construction detail — nothing lost in handoff.

How we work

## From site analysis to construction-ready detail

01

Site & soil analysis

Topography, soils, drainage, sun and wind exposure understood before a single planting or path decision is made.

02

Concept landscape design

Layout, planting palette and materials tested against the brief, the budget and how the space will actually be used.

03

Detailed design & documentation

Grading, drainage, planting and construction detail resolved to a standard contractors and council can build from.

04

Construction liaison

On-site input through the build so the landscape ends up as considered as it was drawn.

In practice

## Where this shows up in our work

Landscape architecture is the thread running through nearly all of our project work — the discipline that turns a master plan, or a CPTED and accessibility assessment, into a real, planted, drained and built space. It's rarely a standalone deliverable; it's where every other layer of thinking gets resolved. See our [full project portfolio](https://cidesign.nz/project?hsLang=en) for examples of the disciplines it sits alongside.

Common questions

## Landscape architecture, explained

What does a landscape architect actually do?

A landscape architect designs outdoor space — how it's laid out, planted, drained, surfaced and used — so it works practically, holds up over time, and suits the site's climate and context. That covers everything from a public park to the grounds around a school or commercial building.

How is landscape architecture different from garden design or landscaping?

Garden design and landscaping typically focus on planting and finishing a space that's already defined. Landscape architecture works earlier and wider — grading, drainage, access, materials, planting strategy and how a space functions for the people using it — often alongside consent and construction documentation.

When should a landscape architect be brought onto a project?

As early as possible, ideally alongside master planning or concept design. Grading, drainage and access decisions made early are far cheaper to get right than to correct once buildings or hard landscaping are already in place.

Do landscape architects work with council on resource consent?

Yes — landscape plans are a common requirement for resource consent, particularly where planting, stormwater, visual amenity or public space are part of the assessment. A landscape architect prepares and can present these plans as part of the consent process.

Can landscape architecture help with stormwater and sustainability requirements?

Yes — planting, grading and surface choices all affect how a site manages rainfall and heat. Landscape architecture can integrate low-impact stormwater design and climate-appropriate planting into the layout from the start, rather than adding it as a separate engineering fix.

The same team designing your landscape carries it through to construction detail — no handoff, no vision lost in translation.

[Meet the team](https://cidesign.nz/team?hsLang=en)

## Got outdoor space that needs to *work* harder?

Bring us in early and the landscape becomes part of the site's logic, not a finishing touch applied at the end.

[Get in touch](https://cidesign.nz/contact?hsLang=en) [Explore all services](https://cidesign.nz/service?hsLang=en)

![CI Design logo](https://cidesign.nz/hubfs/Images/Logo/CI.Logo.png.png) CI Design

Sustainable design and developing solutions.

#### Navigation

- [Home](https://www.cidesign.nz?hsLang=en)
- [Services](https://cidesign.nz/service?hsLang=en)
- [Projects](https://cidesign.nz/project?hsLang=en)
- [Insights](https://cidesign.nz/insights?hsLang=en)
- [Contact](https://cidesign.nz/contact?hsLang=en)

#### Connect

- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/creative-intentions)
- [Client Portal](https://cidesign.nz/contact?hsLang=en)
- [Privacy Policy](https://cidesign.nz/privacy-policy?hsLang=en)
- [Legal](https://cidesign.nz/legal?hsLang=en)

© 2026 Creative Intentions Ltd. All rights reserved. cidesign.nz

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Service",
  "areaServed" : {
    "@type" : "Country",
    "name" : "New Zealand"
  },
  "audience" : [ {
    "@type" : "Audience",
    "audienceType" : "Local and regional councils"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Audience",
    "audienceType" : "Schools and education providers"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Audience",
    "audienceType" : "Residential developers"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Audience",
    "audienceType" : "Commercial and retail developers"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Audience",
    "audienceType" : "Sports and recreation providers"
  } ],
  "description" : "Landscape architecture that shapes usable, sustainable outdoor space — planting, materials, drainage, amenity and character — designed to suit the site, the climate and the people who'll use it.",
  "name" : "Landscape Architecture",
  "provider" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : "https://442128449.fs1.hubspotusercontent-ap1.net/hubfs/442128449/Images/Logo/CI.Logo.png.png",
    "name" : "Creative Intentions Ltd (CI Design)",
    "url" : "https://cidesign.nz"
  },
  "serviceType" : "Landscape architecture and outdoor space design",
  "url" : "https://cidesign.nz/landscape-architecture"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity" : [ {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "A landscape architect designs outdoor space — how it's laid out, planted, drained, surfaced and used — so it works practically, holds up over time, and suits the site's climate and context. That covers everything from a public park to the grounds around a school or commercial building."
    },
    "name" : "What does a landscape architect actually do?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "Garden design and landscaping typically focus on planting and finishing a space that's already defined. Landscape architecture works earlier and wider — grading, drainage, access, materials, planting strategy and how a space functions for the people using it — often alongside consent and construction documentation."
    },
    "name" : "How is landscape architecture different from garden design or landscaping?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "As early as possible, ideally alongside master planning or concept design. Grading, drainage and access decisions made early are far cheaper to get right than to correct once buildings or hard landscaping are already in place."
    },
    "name" : "When should a landscape architect be brought onto a project?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "Yes — landscape plans are a common requirement for resource consent, particularly where planting, stormwater, visual amenity or public space are part of the assessment. A landscape architect prepares and can present these plans as part of the consent process."
    },
    "name" : "Do landscape architects work with council on resource consent?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "Yes — planting, grading and surface choices all affect how a site manages rainfall and heat. Landscape architecture can integrate low-impact stormwater design and climate-appropriate planting into the layout from the start, rather than adding it as a separate engineering fix."
    },
    "name" : "Can landscape architecture help with stormwater and sustainability requirements?"
  } ]
}
```