awards

2024

NZILA Award of Excellence - Research and Communication
www.LandTyping.nz
Lucas Associates - LandPlan, Whenua Ora

"The Land Typing project combines years of land type development, geological and ecological data, and attributes of landscape to provide an online easy to understand tool that anyone can use. The data is gradually being digitised and refined, and feedback on the tool is invited and responded to. It is a work in progress that is available for both landscape architects and the public to use. The tool is an excellence winner for its useful contribution to landscape planning and assessment and commended for allowing the tool to be widely accessible and added to."

2022

NZILA Enduring Landscape Award - Winner
220 kV Transmission Line, 1988

Enduring Landscape Award Winner

"Judges Citation: Through care and thoughtful siting, the transmission line has been artfully and expertly woven through the downlands landscape, inland from Timaru. Enduring landscapes are often those which withstand the test of time and changing trends. Di Lucas’ work, which included consultation with Te Runanga o Arowhenua on the 220kv line, is an exception. It is in the absence of form that the value of the landscape itself has been able to endure. It is a strong example of the creativity with which landscape analysis and assessment can influence large scale infrastructure projects by identifying and guiding opportunities to protect and sustain landscape values and character landscape. The project came before GIS mapping, visualisation software or even word processing and includes hand drawings and photographs showing patterns in the landscape, and potential impacts of pylons. The result demonstrates a deep understanding of the landscape and the significance to tangata whenua, following discussions with kaumātua at Arowhenua marae. The benefits of avoiding ridgelines and views of Aoraki Mount Cook help integrate large power pylons and transmission lines within the landscape, effectively hiding them from view. The influence of landscape architecture during the design and approval (notified application, with submitters in opposition) has been critical to this project’s success. While land use in the area has changed since the time of the assessment, the results of the analysis and recommendations continue to speak volumes. This methodology has had considerable influence on the evolution of landscape assessment and project analysis under the resource management system in Aotearoa New Zealand."

2020

Di Lucas
Life member of the NZILA

Landscape architect for life - Di Lucas

2019

Di Lucas
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit

New Year honour for Di Lucas

2017

Di Lucas
The John Taylor Award for Leadership in Horticulture

2015

NZILA Landscape Planning Awards 2015.

Landscape Planning and Environmental Studies Awards (LP1)
Lucas Associates with Boffa Miskell, Department of Conservation, Landcare Research.

Natural Character of the Marlborough Coast by James Bentley, Boffa Miskell.

"A rigorous Natural Character Assessment providing high level planning guidelines for sensitive land use propositions. The outcome of this project woll result in greater guidance and certainty for Council, resource users and local people on understanding natural character values and likely effects of activities in the coastal environment. A complex project that utilises a robust methodology to gain an accessible and defendable outcome for a complex coastal landscape."

2013

NZILA Distinction Award
landscape planning & environmental studies
Canterbury Regional Landscape Study to Boffa Miskell Ltd. (Lucas Associates had a review role in the project)

2012

Resene Total Colour Lifetime Achievement Award

"The Resene Total Colour Lifetime Achievement Award recognising a person in the architecture and design industry who has shown dedication to innovative and excellent colour use in their work, was awarded to Di Lucas of Canterbury.

Ever since Di graduated from Lincoln with a Landscape degree she has been advocating the sensitive use of colour. Perhaps being born and bred on Bendigo Station in Otago among the muted colours of tussock and rock, she was imbued with a sense of colour as something that complemented the landscape.

In 1970s when she was working as a landscape architect with Ministry of Works she was able to change the application of paint to public structures. She had the highways maintenance teams stop putting white paint on all structures, and blue and white on bridges. She encouraged and demonstrated the use of paint colour to respect the local landscape, such as the changing of the AJ Hackett bungy bridge from primer pink to possum brown. White was only to be used for where needed for safety.

As well as doing lots of private projects, Di ran workshops and produced New Zealand’s first rural landscapes guide in 1980.

In 1982 Di was contracted by NZ Steel to design the first colour range for Colorsteel manufacture. It was a challenge to select a small range that would look good anywhere in New Zealand. For the standard range of colours she chose and named colours – Ironsand, Lignite, Scoria, Karaka, Lichen and Tussock. It’s a tribute to the enduring quality of those colours that after 30 years, five out of the six colours remain in production and are some of the most popular colours available.

It’s not only in rural areas that Di has shone, but in the use of colour for heritage buildings in towns and cities. In her warm and friendly manner, Di has had a profound influence spanning more than four decades on the way colour is used."

-Resene

2011

48 Hour Design Challenge. Supreme Award Winner

Also the Orion NZ Site Category Winner.

“Thank you for your time, creative thinking and collaborative contribution to improving the future of Christchurch’s Central City. Your work in this challenge will help inform the draft Central City Plan.”

2010

Ellerslie International Flower Show Award
Mackenzie Basin display garden, for Forest and Bird

2009

Marlborough Environment Award
Hunters Winery

2008

GOLD NZILA
"landscape planning 1c planning and environmental design"
Te Waka Windfarm Evidence

"This entry is in the form of evidence that describes the effects of a proposed wind farm on landscape and visual amenity. The site is the Te Waka Range, Hawkes Bay. The entry includes Di Lucas's evidence with graphic visual analysis, and Environment Court Judge Thompson's decision. An outstanding assessment. Thoroughly researched and analysed encompassing the culture, history, archaeology, and natural character of the Te Waka Range. Highly effective communication through text and discerning graphics. With high sensitivity to cultural, historical, physical and natural context. The rigorous and compelling arguments led the judge to be convinced that, in this landscape, the context is more important than the perceived need for the activity. The work incorporates excellence in furthering the understanding and interpretation of landscape, through thorough and perceptive description and judgment"

2006

Native Gardens Award of Merit Christchurch City Council / Canterbury Horticultural Society

"Presented in recognition of this outstanding native garden which notably contributes to Christchurch's natural heritage."

Native Garden, 349 Manchester Street. "This courtyard garden references the city of Christchurch built on an active floodplain. Forested patches have come and gone over the millennia periodically being stripped away by the ever-changing gravel patterns following catastrophic flood events. This is represented with the curving timber boardwalk - forest timber peeled back, trees upended, trunks horizontal, roots vertical. Timbered land changes to gravel bed; decking to the north of the building changing to concrete paving to the south"

2002

BRONZE NZILA

landscape planning

Jericho – Te Koawa Turoa O Takitimu Restoration Plan

From the NZILA Judges’ media comments: "Bronze award winner Lucas Associates’ entry in to the same category, the Jericho Te Koawa Turoa o Takitimu Restoration Plan, was an exciting, clear, readable document with a practical, hands on approach. The judges said it was very well researched and communicated in a positive way, and that this study empowered the local community, enabling them to take charge, and stimulating knowledge of processes though action. It provides information and education in a lively and encouraging style for lay people. It is a very good example of using the skills and knowledge of landscape architects for a group of people who wish to improve the sustainable management of their property for the benefit of present and future generations"

2000

CHARLIE CHALLENGER AWARD NZILA, for the most outstanding nomination
landscape planning, research and communication category
Restoring Avoca Valley Stream: A Community Model

Lucas Associates: Di Lucas, Warwick Moffat, Jeremy Head & Annabel Riley

SILVER NZILA
landscape design category (residential)

SILVER NZILA
sustainable resource use category
Marokapara Courtyard

MERIT AWARD Trends Magazine
Garden Design
Marokapara Courtyard

"Marokapara Courtyard recognises the 1946 duplex as constructed during the beginnings of modernist design, and celebrates the underlying braided greywacke plainscape and kahikatea forest"

1999

HIGHLY COMMENDED Christchurch Environment Centre ‘Green Heart Award’ to Lucas Associates
For showing commitment to sustainable environmental practices

1998

GOLD MEDAL NZILA
landscape planning, research and documentation category
Indigenous Ecosystems of Otautahi Christchurch

CANTERBURY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AWARD
community category
The Peel Forest Plan

1997

Pacific Wave Environmental Award
click here to download distinctive appearances article

click here to download Eco-friendly Courtyard 2000 article

click here to download Kiwi Cool 2001 article

1996

CHARLIE CHALLENGER AWARD NZILA
landscape planning and environmental studies category
Indigenous Ecosystems. An Ecological Plan Structure for the Lakes District

HIGHLY COMMENDED NZILA
landscape planning and environmental studies category
Sumner Concept Plan / The Shape of Christchurch within the 4 Avenues

HIGHLY COMMENDED NZILA
communication category
Buller Water Conservation Order Evidence

COMMENDED NZILA
communication category
Indigenous Ecosystems of Otautahi Christchurch

Click here to download citations

1995

HIGHLY COMMENDED NZILA
landscape work in written form - landscape planning and environmental studies category
Canterbury Regional Landscape Study
(in association with Boffa Miskell)
Canterbury Regional Landscape Study 1993

1993

Di Lucas
New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal

1992

HIGHLY COMMENDED NZILA
Landscape work in written form - communication category
“Can natives be improper?”

"There is a great need for Landscape Architects to communicate with the informed lay public. Quality environment will only be achieved when the whole community work in harmony. As exemplified by this article for the "New Zealand Gardener", the role of Landscape Architects in communicating through the popular press needs to be encouraged."

Click here to download article

1990

Di Lucas
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Award (for services to the NZ environment)

1989

MERIT AWARD NZILA
Landscape work in written form - research category 2
“Limits of visual project analysis”

Click here to download document

Click here to download citation

MERIT AWARD NZILA
Landscape planning and environmental studies
- research category 1
Timaru 220KV Transmission Line Visual Impact Assessment