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Di Lucas. Making our world a better place
Words Ady Shannon Photography Shar Devine
If Di Lucas had followed her planned career path, she probably would have made a great scientist but Di’s about-turn after studying botany, zoology and geology at Otago University saw her head north to Lincoln College where she spent two years doing post-graduate studies to become a landscape architect – that was in the early 1970s. She subsequently completed her Masters in landscape planning and over the past 41 years, has established a reputation as a leading NZ landscape architect and authority on landscape policy, planning, ecology and design.
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“Good design has to respond to a place.”
In 1989 Di was elected to the inaugural Canterbury Regional Council. It was the era in which the Resource Management Act was being developed and her three-year term gave her an intimate understanding of acceptable landscape practice, from the ground up. That knowledge, and a genuine desire to make a positive difference, led to the establishment of her eponymous company Lucas Associates. Christchurch-based Di works all over New Zealand, and although she has done advisory work for offshore projects, it is not an area she chooses to pursue. “You have got to know the nature and culture of a place to work in it. I hate this global culture of people flying in and designing stuff. International style has no sense of place. It is a lost opportunity. You need to know and understand the materials, forms, character, ecology, people, the past, everything. You can’t do that by just ‘popping in’.” Her entire approach to her work is underpinned by, her in depth understanding of New Zealand’s flora, fauna, culture and landscape. Projects under her guidance are varied and range from small community initiatives to major policy proposals. ”I tend to focus on landscape planning as I have skills around the bigger picture. Currently I am involved in projects for a community group in the McKenzie Basin, and the Rena ship grounded off Tauranga, for local iwi. I’m involved in a subdivision, a reserve, a river corridor, a windfarm, a quarry. “
She admits she is particular about the work she accepts. “I am very principled. I only do work that I agree with. That’s what professional ethics are all about.” Post-quake she has committed an enormous amount of time and energy to working alongside community groups to redevelop the inner city. A leaflet drop in 2011 to residents in her red zoned inner city area attracted 55 people to an inaugural meeting at her own home to discuss the future of ‘the block’. The group subsequently established themselves as an incorporated society, Peterborough Village. Now they meet regularly, encourage and advise on development in the area, and have been delegated to do a transitional upgrade on a street in their village. It is a prime example of landscape design influencing community values and amenities. “We will work within the street to improve the experience of cyclists and pedestrians. As a 10-year transitional project, it is not intended to be permanent. We will design furniture that can be removed and relocated,” Di says.
Placing landscape as step one of the design process is paramount to good outcomes, Di believes, regardless of whether the project is a new housing development or a new motorway. She is a member of the Christchurch Urban Design Panel, whose role is to advise on new developments for the CCC.
“ We see some major projects come in with no consideration of the landscape. In the rebuild of the city, the exterior space will be as important as the buildings. People are fixated about buildings but it’s the urban landscape that will influence the city’s character.” Getting it right comes back to having a grasp of the culture and the place. “And that doesn’t mean just nestling or blending in,” Di says. “Good design has to respond to a place. That response might be vibrant. It just has to be appropriate.”
She cites the Selwyn District Council complex in Rolleston as an excellent example of sustainable design. The raw, single-level building, designed by Ian Athfield, features macrocarpa, stone and galvanised steel cladding. “It recognises the Canterbury Plains, the Waimakariri River, raw materials, steel and greywacke stone. It’s amazing.” The selection of building materials is important to Di and she is increasingly concerned by the environmental impact of materials used in the construction industry. “Some fashions worry me, like the use of copper cladding, as the runoff contaminates waterways. Not only in the first flush either, but worsening over decades. It can look stunning but we need to be responsible.” ”I love pine and engineered timbers but they need to be treated. We do have durable local timbers for exterior use. Concrete is a good material to use. We have all the aggregate, so if it’s a permanent structure, I think we can justify the energy used.” Di concedes it’s not always easy to make good choices, but says there is no excuse for using materials out of context. “What really annoys me is the likes of schist used in Christchurch. Don’t go and ship all around the country. Limestone is right in limestone country and schist is fine in Central Otago.”
www.lucas-associates.co.nz