Where nature meets design

Mark Newdick is a Wellington-based landscape architect specialising in residential design. Growing up in the spectacular landscapes of the South Island led him to study ecology and landscape at Lincoln University, beginning his fascination with the myriad textures, colours and characters of native plants and with abstracting natural forms and patterns into domestic landscapes.

Mark applies his fascination with abstracting natural forms to a variety of scales, from small urban retreats to sprawling rural and coastal gardens. One of his earlier works, the Webb Street Garden, takes inspiration from the pared-back, simple block forms typical of the new-build architecture from David Melling. Mark’s design fractures this in myriad ways through paving, water features, seating and fencing, wrapping a continuous sculptural landscape around the home.

The organic arrangement of hard landscape elements softens the edges of the landscape, drawing the eye away from the edges and creating a peaceful space in a tight urban site. The water feature enhances the calm as ripples of water gently cascade over fractured bluestone, creating ambient sound.

Te Whare Mara (The Garden House) extends the architectural language of The Webb Street garden pond throughout the entire garden. Located on a typically steep Wellington site, concrete paving, steel planters, and timber fencing organically step up in seemingly random intervals, deftly navigating the terrain and inviting one into the garden. The planting design complements and amplifies this, with a diverse palette of strong forms and textures, including from many unique divaricating New Zealand plants. Combined, these elements provide strong forms and visual interest, with a softness and ease that creates stunning views from inside the Gerald Parsonson-designed house.

Different in scale and context, the Raumati Beach garden is on a large coastal section surrounding a new home by Wellington designer, Gavin Wallace. The spacious garden contains many distinct spaces united by a consistent design language and stylistic elements.

An artificial lawn provides an all-weather spill-out space and connects to a set of steps which double as a grandstand seating area for the larger natural lawn. A sunken garden, private and sheltered, hosts larger groups gathered around a brazier. An elevated viewing deck is a sought-after vantage point for beach gazing and afternoon drinks in the sun.

Throughout his work, Mark applies themes of natural abstraction to any space – small or large, urban or rural.

Although based in Wellington, Mark works throughout Aotearoa and enjoys the challenge of reconciling a client’s design brief with the natural character of any given site.

Contact details:

Mark Newdick Landscape Architecture
021 735 911
MARKNEWDICK@GMAIL.COM
www.marknewdick.co.nz