DesignwithNature

WildLab is a group of designers and researchers committed to growing a world where people and nature thrive together.

We collaborate with community groups, iwi, farmers, business, and government agencies. Together, we create regenerative landscapes, strategies, experiences, and communication tools that connect them and their partners with te taiao and nature.

Connect with what we do . . .

Our Projects

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Oparara Basin Experience Design
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Using a ‘Lost World’ narrative, this design transforms Oparara Basin into a top-tier West Coast experience. Visitors encounter moa silhouettes at the entry, then use augmented-reality storytelling to connect past extinctions with present-day conservation efforts—spurring engagement with native species like whio and kiwi.
Arthur’s Pass National Park Visitor Engagement Strategy
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A strategic insight plan identifies key moments along the Arthur’s Pass route—like the highway, village hub, and visitor centre—where visitors can be warmly welcomed into conservation through tailored information delivery. It maps out how to spark first-time engagements across the entire experience.
Wild Heart Project Punakaiki Storytelling
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A series of interpretation panels brings local nature stories to life, guiding volunteers through the plant nursery, sharing the project’s mission, and helping them become storytellers themselves—turning each visit into an engaging, educational exploration of this coastal restoration effort.
Air New Zealand Long-haul Catering Weight and Waste Reduction Project
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This study analysed long-haul operations to reduce catering-related waste and carbon emissions. By streamlining food, bar, dry goods, and equipment services—and optimising facilities across global hubs—it identified efficiency gains that cut 3,950 tons of CO₂-equivalent per year while lowering costs.

Field Notes

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The Story of the National Parks of Aotearoa New Zealand
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In September 2017 we brought the story of the national parks of Aotearoa New Zealand to Beijing, China. It was hosted at the Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture, and shows the ways the National Park idea has evolved over the last 130 years in Aotearoa New Zealand.
WildLab Field Guide to Designing Great Storytelling Panels
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For over a decade we’ve been designing storytelling panels that connect people with nature. This guide shares the principles behind our work—how good design and strong stories can inspire, build connection, and help communities bring the values of Te Taiao to life.
Being Landscape
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This article reimagines landscape not as a static scene to be observed or preserved, but as an active, lived relationship between people and place. Drawing on personal experiences, design research, and fieldwork,a case for more participatory approaches to conservation is made—ones that foster mutual shaping between people and landscape, and enable deeper belonging through embodied practice.
Social Natures
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How do landscapes and people shape each other? From stone walls built after forests were cleared, to regenerating bush reclaiming old farmland, it reveals how places are formed through work, memory, and material. Rather than viewing nature and architecture as separate, it shows them as deeply entwined—built from shared histories, changing relationships, and ongoing conversations.

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Southern Faces
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Southern Faces, the third-ever climbing guidebook for Otepoti Dunedin-arriving after a 25-year wait since the last guidebook. This beautifully designed book by Riley Smith celebrates the last five decades of local climbing and the immense growth of the scene since the previous guide, Dunedin Rock (2000). The 250-page guide provides essential safety insights, historical context, and highlights the unique climbing culture of Dunedin. From beginner-friendly climbs to the region's most intimidating routes, Southern Faces is a must-have for everyone keen to explore what the south has to offer. It's packed with photos, including great shots from the days of lycra through to some of the latest efforts at Lover's Leap. $8.50 shipping across Aotearoa.
$ 50.00 NZD
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WildLab @ 2020-2025