Peter Rough says he feels very honoured to have been made a life member of NZILA, adding the Institute has always meant a great deal to him. The announcement was made at last night’s NZILA President’s Cocktail Evening in Nelson.

“I was fortunate enough to be at the inaugural meeting of the Institute when it was formed in Christchurch in 1972. I've been a member ever since and seen the institute develop and grow over that time,” says Peter.

As Peter’s professional partner Tony Milne points out “Peter has always been a willing contributor to the life of the profession in his typically understated and considered way. Over the years and as his experience has grown Peter has been very instrumental in shaping the profession of landscape architecture in Aotearoa.

 “He is extremely highly regarded and respected by the profession. Peter has unselfishly given 49 years to the profession of landscape architecture in Aotearoa, contributing immensely to its evolution and the landscape of our country.”

The citation for the life membership also points to Peter’s long and significant contribution. He served on the Executive Committee in 1976/77 and again in 1980. In 1980, he chaired the executive education subcommittee, which developed the Institute's initial associateship guidelines. He was an associateship examiner in 1982, 1986, 1989, and 2001. In 1986/87, Peter was the first chairperson of the Canterbury Westland branch of the Institute and served as a committee member again in 1998 to 2001. He convened the NZILA design awards committee in 1992 and 1993 and has served on several Institute working groups, including documentation development and landscape and visual assessment guidelines, since 2003.

Peter began his landscape architecture involvement when he was still a school boy, working with one of the profession’s pioneers, Robin Gay, on a series of tourism-related projects that included the Hermitage at Aoraki Mount Cook. This early experience, combined with Peter’s love for tramping and climbing in New Zealand's Southern Alps, instilled in him a passion for landscape architecture that has lasted throughout his career.

After graduating from what was then Lincoln College in 1973 with a postgraduate diploma in landscape architecture, Peter began working for the Department of Lands and Survey in its Auckland office. Over the next four years, he worked on a range of projects in Northland district offices and became an associate member of the NZILA in 1975.