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The Design
A conventional, highly urbanised park response was not right for Lorenzen Bay Reserve.
“It was an opportunity to come together as residents and talk about how this reserve is special and how we want to keep the emphasis on the natural environment”
– Gabrielle Parson, Community Project Fascilitator
A light-touch landscape design
This led to a deliberately light-touch landscape design incorporating natural walking tracks, native planting, nature play opportunities and a new stream-crossing boardwalk, rather than introducing unnecessary built elements.
Designing with the community
The design process was shaped with the community rather than imposed on it. Our role was to listen, test ideas and provide the landscape architecture and engineering expertise needed to turn local aspirations into achievable solutions.
This collaborative approach created opportunities for the community to continue shaping and contributing to the reserve over time and helped avoid a ‘fly-in, fly-out’ design approach.
This approach aligns particularly well with Waikato District Council's wider direction for Lorenzen Bay Reserve, which supports community involvement, ecological restoration and improved access and connectivity.
Designing for a flood-prone wetland environment
The reserve's flood-prone and wetland environment added another layer of complexity. By identifying these constraints early, our team was able to adapt the design, reduce project risk and develop solutions that protected the natural character of the site.
For the new stream-crossing boardwalk, low-impact helical screw pile foundations were selected to minimise excavation and disturbance to the surrounding wetland. The design also separated elements that could be delivered through future community initiatives, helping Council make the most of the available budget while keeping longer-term aspirations alive.
What we delivered
• Community engagement and site analysis
• Landscape architecture and reserve design
• Walking tracks and nature play opportunities
• Native planting
• Stream-crossing boardwalk
• Flood-informed earthworks and infrastructure design
• Structural engineering and buildability advice
• Consent and approval documentation
The outcome
The completed Lorenzen Bay Reserve project provides a more accessible and enjoyable community space while retaining the informal, natural character that makes the reserve distinctive.
It demonstrates how landscape architecture, civil engineering and structural engineering can work together with community-led design to create meaningful improvements while respecting the environmental character of a place.
The reserve officially opened on 31 August 2026.
We received a Beaton Client feedback score of 10/10.
Planning a project with similar challenges? Talk to our team about how our landscape architecture and engineering expertise can help bring your project to life.
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