Last Friday evening members of the Aotearoa landscape architecture community gathered at the new Isthmus Auckland studio for the launch of Te Tangi a te Manu - Aotearoa New Zealand Landscape Assessment Guidelines.

Master of ceremonies for the night was Isthmus Principal Matt Jones who says the book launch ceremony was a huge success and he found it quite moving.

“It was great to celebrate the book and to confirm how important Te Tangi a te Manu will be for our profession. There was good korero around the significance the guidelines will have in Aotearoa New Zealand for landscape architecture and design in general, but also its significance at a global level.”

Matt says he was particularly moved by the korero provided by the speakers on the evening, which included Dr Haare Williams (Matua Haare) and Emeritus Professor Dr Simon Swaffield, and the emphasis the authors have placed on te ao Māori principles..

He says the event was organised by Tuia Pito Ora New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects and with the Institute’s 50th fast approaching, Te Tangi a Te Manu has been published at a significant time for the landscape architecture profession.

He says to hear the authors, Gavin Lister, Rachel de Lambert and Alan Titchener, speak, to acknowledge each other, the process undertaken and others involved in the creation of Te Tangi a te Manu was also inspiring.