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Meet the 2019 NZILA fellows
Posted 05 04 2019
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Two new NZILA fellowships have been awarded - Jacky Bowring and Ralph Johns’ fellowships were announced at the NZILA President’s cocktail evening (sponsored by MHL) last night.
Through the awarding of Fellowship, the NZILA recognises its leaders, innovators and ambassadors, and those who have made a special contribution to the development and promotion of the profession.
Jacky says to have been recognised by her peers in this way is a real honour and affirmation. Ralph says it is a “big deal getting that level of recognition.”
In announcing Jacky’s fellowship the NZILA said she has made an extraordinary contribution to landscape architecture here and around the world. As Professor of Landscape Architecture at Lincoln University, she has been teaching, researching, designing and critiquing since 2013. Her leadership and reputation in the field of ‘affective landscapes’ has been internationally recognised as world class.
Her citation says that arguably Jacky’s greatest contribution to the discipline and the profession has been in the critique of design practice, supporting and developing design as a theoretically informed endeavour in the public realm.
Jacky worked as a practising landscape architect in London in the 1990s, and continues to practice as a registered landscape architect in Christchurch. During 2018 she was part of the team designing the memorial landscape for the Pike River Mine Tragedy on the West Coast of the South Island, as well as designing, advising and critiquing built environment responses to the Christchurch earthquakes over the past few years.
Her citation goes on to point out that she represents the very best of this country’s academic and professional practice through her outstanding contribution to Landscape Architecture nationally and internationally.
Isthmus CEO Ralph Johns is the other new fellow for 2019. Ralph came to New Zealand in 2001 when he was appointed, with programme director Dr Catherine Alington, to establish the new landscape architecture course at Victoria University. He then joined the Isthmus Group in 2006 as leader of what was then a small Wellington studio. He grew the capability of the team and led a range of design projects. During this time Ralph served as chair of the NZILA Wellington branch, on the NZILA Registration Panel, and had earlier helped organise the 2002 NZILA Landscape Conference.
In 2013 Ralph was appointed Isthmus CEO - his fellowship citations says arguably this is the role in which he has exerted the most influence within the profession. His conviction is that a design practice is best led by designers. Importantly, one of his missions is growing staff capability and influence on projects. The practice has increasingly taken leadership roles in major housing, public place, transport, and infrastructure projects.
Along the way Ralph promoted landscape architecture through publishing. He has a body of articles and conference papers to his name and has been instrumental in winning awards with other professional bodies. Notably, he also instigated and produced ‘Coast. Country. Neighbourhood. City.’ (CCNC) to mark Isthmus’s 25 year anniversary. Rather than a ‘glossy’ book, Ralph chose a ‘chunky’ format to suit his purpose of recording the ideas and thinking behind the projects. CCNC won the Charlie Challenger Award in 2017.
The designation of Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects is conferred upon senior members of the profession, recognising their distinguished work, expertise and particular contribution to landscape, landscape architecture, and the profession.
See more from Jacky and Ralph - watch video
Citations:
Jacky Bowring - click here
Ralph Johns - click here
