In the Media
News
Planting springs to life on Kapiti expressway
One of the largest planting exercises ever seen in the lower North Island is underway, involving 1.3 million plants alongside the Kapiti expressway.
Garden Blooms at Mall
Natural Habitats Care Department recently undertook a Community Garden at Botany Town Centre in conjunction with Bellyful.
Natural Habitat's Civic Square Greenwall
The Autumn issue of Landscape Architecture NZ is out and features Natural Habitat's Civic Square Greenwall in Wellington
Greening the City with a Living Wall
Civic Square is now home to a multitude of new plants with the installation of a 24sqm living green wall.
Three storeys high Green Wall at the Kathleen Kilgour Centre.
The green wall at the Kathleen Kilgour Centre, one of the largest living walls in New Zealand, is designed and maintained by Natural Habitats.
Living and Learning in Nature
The outdoors is widely recognised as an essential part of a child’s learning and personal development with many early childhood centres extending and enhancing their outdoor spaces.
Henderson’s Living and Learning Family Centre has recently achieved this with a new, contemporary playground amongst a natural bush environment.
Geyser Green Wall by Natural Habitats - 'Project of the Week' on Greenroofs.com
New Zealand's first six-star green rated building, the Geyser building takes its inspiration from the country's thermally active geography and is built on sustainable design principles with a very original blend of horticultural innovation and aesthetics. Designed for Samson Corporation in Auckland's Parnell, this multi- tenanted, mixed use development is the latest in a series of landmark urban courtyard developments designed by Patterson Associates. Each of the sub-buildings is wrapped in a dynamic, semi-reflective white twin walled facade, which opens and closes in order to moderate the tenants' thermal environment.
'Touch of the Tropics'
Mark Read, senior landscape designer at Natural Habitats, is a master magician with greenery. He uses a plant palette to create the illusion of a balmy, resort-style atmosphere – not too much of a stretch, as northern New Zealand lies in a subtropical zone.
Urban Connection
Den Aitken writing for Landscape Architecture New Zealand considers the role of productive landscapes in urban communities, and the part they play in adding to the health and wellbeing of a city’s residents.
Soothing Sanctuary
Rituals are the glue of family life and, for Marion and Graham Aitken, the evening routine is sacrosanct. Every night after Graham returns from work they hop into the spa set into the lush greenery of their Auckland garden and spend 20 minutes downloading the day. “Being in the spa forces you to relax – to stop going at 90 miles per hour,” explains Marion. This courtyard garden, with its tropical touches, not only inspires such moments of mindfulness, it has become a social hub where the Aitkens love to entertain.
Playtime at the Seaside
Trends Magazine feature our exciting new playground 'Swell Park' in Long Bay and designed by the Natural Habitats design team of Debbie Tikao and Jenny Wood with James Lord from Surface Design.
Veges on the Verge
Jo McCarroll from NZ Gardner Magazine explores the pros and cons of planting up the strip of land beside the road in the March 2014 issue, and interviews our Landscape Designer Tash Geelan about our 'Ediable Garden' partly planted in the counci berm.
‘Pop Up’ Landscape Architecture
The Landscape Architecture team at Natural Habitats, in collaboration with Lead Designer Tash Geelen, have created an edible ‘pop up’ landscape at their Ellerslie office, a response to urban food productivity, consumption and the topical question of land responsibility in light of Auckland Council’s tentative decision on roadside maintenance.
Even Carpet Grows in Retro Garden
Everything from the carpet to the roof will be alive in Natural Habitats' Living Lounge garden at the Ellerslie International Flower Show this month.
Bottles become vertical garden in ground-breaking project
An innovative recycling project believed to be the first of its kind in New Zealand was completed last week at Stanmore Bay School.
Natural Habitats and Farmers Combating Erosion
Natural Habitats are joining together with farmers to tackle erosion on farms in the rural Rodney area. Natural Habitat’s have donated 600 poplar trees to farmers in need through the Auckland Council.
Stonefields
Natural Habitats multi-award winning project features in Landscape Architecture New Zealand Spring 2013 Issue.
Te Wao Nui - Auckland Zoo's New Zealand Showpiece
On the surface, creating a piece of New Zealand within New Zealand, doesn’t sound particularly difficult. But consider you have 17 hectares to showcase all of New Zealand’s diverse flora, fauna, animals and culture and you’re starting to get a handle on the challenge that confronted Auckland Zoo and Natural Habitats. The Te Wao Nui project, first conceived in the early 90’s was completed last year, and was one of the more unique projects we’ve worked on.
Natural Habitats launch the EcoPillow
Natural Habitats is proud to launch the next advancement in green roof technology - the EcoPillow. Modular in design, the EcoPillow is a pre-grown living roof that offers all the proven benefits of a green roof while radically reducing risk and cost of the roofing structure.
Natural Habitats launch Ronstan Green Screen in New Zealand
A new tensile cabling system, made by Australian based Ronstan Tensile Architecture and distributed in New Zealand by Natural Habitats is set to add momentum and visibility to the green building movement. The product enables designers and architects to realise the aesthetic and environmental benefits of greenery on a scale never seen before, thanks to the lighter and more cost efficient green screen technology.
Natural Habitats and Archimedia+ announced as Master Planning and Design Team
East & Bays Courier announce design team for the proposed Glen Innes Music and Arts Centre
Two Natural Habitats Green Walls feature in Interior Magazine
Our two latest green walls both feature in the first edition of the new Interior magazine.
Design Workshop
The October Issue or Your Home & Garden features an in depth look at one of the award winning gardens Natural Habitats has designed and built.
The New Landscape
It's an image straight from popular science fiction: humming, energy-efficent buildings swathed in living plants, the perfect harmony of nature and technology. The New Zealand Herald's Element Magazine takes a closer look at our green walls.
Green Roofs in Mountain Scene
Distinctive roof gardens are a growing trend on classy Queenstown construction projects. Natural Habitats is leading the trend having installed eight green roofs in the Wakatipu area, including the green roofs at the new Hilton Queenstown hotel.
The Good Life
We continue our gardening feature in the award wining Good Magazine. For the October issue Natural Habitats Senior Landscape Designer Mark Read and Landscape Architect Lydia Franken focus on the Quarter Acre dream.
Mind that Wall
Our latest green wall at Hotel Novotel in Auckland Airport is turning heads, check it out in the September issue of Mindfood
Our Britomart Green Wall makes for stunning cover page
New Zealand’s Largest Living Wall Makes a Bold Statement at Auckland’s Britomart precinct.
Making Space for Learning
The design and delivery of the school’s new grounds by Natural Habitats (overseen by Greenstone Group) has created space for rich sensory input, and endless possibilities for exploration by the school’s 70 pupils.