Beca Ltd’s work on the Vanuatu Infrastructure Tourism Project has won the Community Design category in this year’s Resene New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architecture Awards. 

The judges said at the core of this unique project was a “renewed and resilient expression of cultural values and sense of place”.

“In addition to responding to the technical engineering focus of addressing coastal interface issues and creating a resilient public space (post Cyclone Pam), the design response required a deep understanding of the local people and culture,” the judges citation read.

“With three languages to contend with (Bislama, French, and English), this was a challenging endeavour, but was successfully achieved through a landscape architectural-led design and engagement process.”