Kathryn Gustafson - Masterclasses

The Garden Design Society of New Zealand are delighted to be partnering with Waipapa Taumata Rau - University of Auckland, to bring you two Masterclasses at the School of Architecture and Planning in Auckland. This is a one-off opportunity you will not want to miss.

Kathryn Gustafson is an internationally acclaimed landscape architect with over 40 years of distinguished practice. As founding partner of two international offices, Gustafson Porter + Bowman in London and until recently, Gustafson Guthrie Nichol (GGN) in Seattle, Kathryn is renowned for creating distinctive sculptural landscapes which engage at a fundamental human level.

Kathryn brings a unique ability to define a project’s vision and conceives of all material as possessing organic qualities that respond to the seasons, as well as air, heat, sun and wind. Her form-making practice with terrain is all about movement and her work frames the art of landscape as a composition, combining complex elements both visible and otherwise, such as light, sound, and atmosphere. Her working method of modelling in clay enables her to create sensually pleasing and beguilingly simple landforms.

Kathryn’s work from both firms includes the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, Old Market Square in Nottingham, the Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam, Seattle City Hall Plaza, the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the landscape design for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, DC. Kathryn’s current projects include the Eiffel Tower Site in Paris, a civic project in Senegal, and Taikoo Place in Hong Kong. These designs offer solace from the clamour of daily life as well as providing a unifying structure for the multi-layered requirements of the public realm.

Prior to establishing Gustafson Porter + Bowman in 1997, Kathryn worked in France where she was the lead landscape designer for the headquarters of Shell (1990), Esso (1992) and a model factory for L’Oréal (1993). Other significant works include the award-winning Jardins de l’Imaginaire in Terrasson la Villedieu (1995), which is classed by the French Ministry of culture as one of the most notable gardens in France. Her work at the public plaza in Evry (1991) was one of the first landscape projects worldwide to create a flexible space with water jets.

Kathryn lectures internationally and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architecture, an honorary Royal Designer for Industry member and a medallist of the French Academy of Architecture. She is the recipient of the Architects’ Journal Jane Drew Prize 1998, the 2001 Chrysler Design Award, the 2008 ASLA Design Medal, the Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize for Architecture 2012 and the 8th Obayashi Prize, Japan in 2014. In 2011, Kathryn and her GGN partners received the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Landscape Architecture, in 2019 she was given the Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award by the IFLA and in 2021 she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Notable architects collaborated with:

Renazca, Madrid, Spain – Diller Scofidio + Renfro

Taikoo Place, Hong Kong – Hugh Dutton Associates / Wong & Ouyang

Rathbone Place, London, UK – MAKE

Marina One, Singapore - Ingenhoven Architects

Museumpark Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands – OMA, MVRDV

National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, Wales – Foster + Partners

Robert And Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum And National Portrait Gallery (GGN project), Washington DC, USA  – Foster + Partners

Museum of Art, Boston, USA (GGN project) - Foster + Partners

Gree Sijing, Shanghai, China – RSHP

Sydney Bangaroo Waterfront, Sydney, Australia (GGN Project) - RSHP

UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, London, UK – Adjaye Associates

National Museum of African American History and Culture (GGN project) - Adjaye Associates

Sydney Modern Project - Expansion of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (GGN project) – SANAA

Osaka Park  (GGN project) – SANAA

Notable projects include: Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, the Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam, Seattle City Hall Plaza, the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the landscape design for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, DC.

Kathryn’s current projects include; Site Tour Eiffel in Paris, a civic project in Senegal, Valencia Parque Central, Rhine Terrace at the Novartis Campus in Basel, Marina One in Singapore, and Taikoo Place in Hong Kong.

An afternoon of Masterclasses – Thursday 29th February, 12 – 6.30pm  

Room 421E-311, Architecture Level 3 Exhibition Space, School of Architecture and Planning, University of Auckland, 26 Symonds Street, Auckland Central 1010

An incredible opportunity to spend an afternoon with Kathryn Gustafson. Kathryn will be taking two masterclasses, each to be 2 hours duration, with a 90 minute break in between for afternoon tea and mixing/mingling for those attending both.  

Masterclass 1: Planting: Conceptual Design to initial documentation. Making reference to four projects spanning four continents, Kathryn will illustrate the journey from conceptualization to the implementation of planting schemes. Attendees gain insights into climatic considerations, site analysis, design iterations, community engagement, and the intricate process of translating vision into reality.

Masterclass 2: Eiffel Tower Site:  History, Environmental Impact, Concept. One of the most recognisable landmarks on the planet, the Eiffel Tower is visited by some 30 million people each year. Gustafson Porter + Bowman’s competition-winning design to deliver a landscape that aligns with the City’s vision for a resilient, inclusive and environmentally-oriented future, around the  Fountain Varsovie, is currently on site and phase one will be complete for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in July, 2024. Kathryn will share the Studio’s approach in delivering a project on a truly monumental scale, from concept, through city politics to planting choices and delivery.

Running Order:

12:00 - 12:20pm | Registration 

12:30 - 2:30pm | Masterclass 1: Planting: Conceptual Design to initial documentation

2:30 - 3:50pm | Break, afternoon tea, registration for Masterclass 2

4:00 - 6:00pm | Masterclass 2: Eiffel Tower Site

6:00 - 6:30pm | Post class discussion

6:30pm | Masterclasses end

CPD points available per masterclass: 15 NZRAB CPD Points, 20 GDSNZ CPD Points, 2.0 NZILA CPD Points

Registrations are now open and you can purchase tickets to attend one or both masterclasses. A discounted price is available to those registering for both masterclasses. Students can attend for FREE with proof of current Student ID. Registration includes coffee, tea and water during the afternoon and afternoon tea during the break. There is NO carparking on site. Carparking is available in the Sir Owen G. Glenn Building at 12 Grafton Road. Hourly charges apply. We encourage walking, biking, ride-sharing or taking public transport. We are hoping to record these masterclasses and will update the website soon with ticketing options if we are able to.