Rachel de Lambert celebrates 35 Years at Boffa Miskell

Rachel has brought a steadfast perspective throughout her diverse body of work. It is always about acknowledging and preserving what is best for the landscapes of Aotearoa.

When Rachel graduated from Lincoln College (now University) her particular interest in cultural and historic landscapes was evident in her dissertation Historic Landscape Conservation in New Zealand.

The objectives of that paper:

• Look at the significance of historic landscapes in landscape values;
• Explore methods of managing historic landscapes to enhance landscape values and awareness of their existence by the general public; and
• Consider future ways in which historic landscapes may be both protected and enhanced;

have remained constant throughout a career that has encompassed urban design and revitalisation, residential masterplanning, environmental planning and landscape assessments.

Since the advent of the Resource Management Act much of Rachel’s experience has been in the area of visual assessment and landscape resource evaluation, and these days if she’s not in the office, she’s likely to be presenting evidence at council and Environment Court hearings.

John Goodwin joined Boffa Miskell shortly after Rachel. He says, “Rachel joined Boffa Miskell in 1987, and came to the Auckland office in 1991, following a short stint in the Christchurch office and an overseas trip. We worked together on a number of large-scale landscape planning and assessment projects across the Upper North Island and, in particular, the Bay of Plenty. Often we would return to Auckland with the boot of my station wagon filled with rocks for her garden!”

Work in the Bay of Plenty grew to the extent that in 1999 Rachel moved to Tauranga for a couple of years to establish an office there. Returning to Auckland, she became much more involved in urban projects and a number of town centre initiatives, and she is now acknowledged as one of the leading designers in New Zealand.

From early city-centre ‘city shaping’ to coastlines in the furthest reaches of New Zealand; and from new urban centres like New Lynn, to regional and district assessment; there are few projects or places that Rachel hasn’t either done work in or knows someone who has.

Urban designer Stuart Houghton has worked closely with Rachel over the past 15 years. He says, “I quickly learnt to not compete with the extraordinary levels of stamina and energy and the fast pace of action Rachel brings to everything she does. I’ve never stopped being amazed at the huge array of things Rachel is involved in, across a very wide spectrum of landscape architecture and urban design endeavour.

“As landscape architect, Rachel is a professional in the true vocational sense of the word. She never stops thinking about the ways we can better ourselves in our work; and her passion, enthusiasm and motivation are inspiring to so many, not just at Boffa Miskell but to the many others she has worked with and mentored.”

From the early days of Sea + City on the Wynyard Quarter Plan Changes, Rachel and Boffa Miskell have had continuous involvement as a new urban neighbourhood gradually emerged. Her subsequent TAG role for Eke Panuku, advising on the place-shaping of urban transformation happening across Auckland, is testament to the influence she continues to have on the future form of Tāmaki Makaurau.

Rachel has consistently taken leading roles and put in significant hours and effort to the NZILA and other professional institutes. She has been, or remains, a member of a number of design and urban design forums, including the former Auckland City and Manukau City Urban Design Panels, and the Auckland City Mayoral Urban Design Workforce and the Eke Panuku Development Auckland Technical Advisory Group. She is currently co-Convenor for the Auckland Urban Design Panel and she is a regular speaker at various institute and industry conferences and seminars.

“The word I’ve heard many people use to describe Rachel as a person and her contribution to the landscape profession is ‘Mana’,” says landscape planner Julia Wick. “I’ve been in meetings where a roomful of savvy developers, architects and planners are hanging on her every word. Whilst working on complex problems, often in city-defining projects, Rachel has a knack of never making it complicated, but keeping it simple, creative and logical.

“Nearly everyone I speak to knows her; and her connections with clients, the landscape architecture, and arts industry is unrivaled. And this isn’t just on the Tāmaki Makaurau, or even Aotearoa scale, but spans international connections.”

Most recently, the pro-bono work Rachel has undertaken in co-authoring Te Tangi a te Manu (alongside Alan Titcher and Gavin Lister) is testament to her enduring interest in the land and its history.

An inter-generational document displaying depth and experience in the field of landscape (encompassing cultural landscape, seascape, urban landscape, riverscape, skyscape, streetscape or nightscape ) Te Tangi a te Manu goes further to promote the integration of Te Ao Māori – our unique indigenous worldview – as keystone of Aotearoa practice.

Julia continues, “Rachel is also a true supporter of young female landscape architects. She is always there to encourage and lend an ear. On top of all that, whether it’s offering professional advice on the technical aspects of assessment and design through to liaison, business acumen and development; or general conversation about anything from art and travel to fashion and cats; Rachel is never afraid to speak her mind, and that’s something people admire.”