City Mall designers scoop awards

Project City Mall designer Isthmus has been awarded for its work on the Christchurch Central City revitalisation project.

Isthmus was awarded silver in the planning category of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects awards last night (Sunday, April 5), for communication and promotion of the Project City Mall design process.

Judges said Isthmus’ work on Project City Mall, which included an innovative consultation approach, regular communication and information updates, and superior graphics technology, showed how high quality communication can engage public interest and obtain support for the design of the public spaces.

Isthmus Director Garth Falconer welcomed the recognition of the work carried out on Project City Mall. He said Isthmus’ philosophy was based on the recognition that consultation was not a ticking of the box exercise but a crucial element of any successful project.

“Project City Mall is a high-profile, much needed project that is a flagship within the broader program to revitalise the heart of Christchurch. The design evolved out of analysis of the challenges facing the Mall and seeks to respond to the area's wide range of users, needs and aspirations,” he says.

Isthmus collected 12 awards last night for projects across the country.

Isthmus, Christchurch City Council and Downer EDI Works form the Alliance Team, working on the revitalisation of City Mall to create an exciting public space and vibrant retail centre in the heart of Christchurch. Work started last year on the project, and is set to be completed by the end of next year.

Project Director Sean Whitaker congratulated Isthmus on the award, and said it was fantastic to win national recognition for the project.

“This is a high-profile project that’s an integral part of the revitalisation of Christchurch’s Central City. City Mall is going to be a world-class street that people will be drawn to,” he said.

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For more information contact: Garth Falconer 0274 988 699

Background - Isthmus

Isthmus is a close knit team of qualified urban designers and landscape architects who work nationally from four cities in a "seamless studio consultancy."

Landscape Architecture:

Recognising the extensive nature of landscape, our team of landscape architects works across its broad range by creating distinctive and sustainable places: from large regional parks to complex commercial precincts. We are designers and enjoy planning, conceptualising, detailing and overseeing the construction of our work.

Positive environmental outcomes are integrated into all our projects. We work with the Resource Management Act, and the context of the particular environment and project goals, to achieve responsible, well-researched planning outcomes, which lead to realisable and outstanding projects. Using qualitative as well as quantitative analysis we bring a fresh approach to the understanding and planning of landscapes.

Urban Design:

Quality urban design is essential to everyone as we are all connected through our common built environment: every one of us lives and works in buildings, uses streets, public spaces, transport systems and other urban infrastructure.

Its quality impacts on our social, environmental and cultural value through creating well connected, inclusive and accessible places, delivering the mix of uses and facilities needed by people, adding to the identity and pride of a place, enhancing safety and reducing fear of crime, improving energy efficiency, and revitalising heritage.

Isthmus responds to the challenges of urbanisation by applying a design-led process to a broad range of projects, including guidelines, assessments, masterplanning, public realm open space, intensification and mixed use developments.

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