Landscape Design

Designs that get built, get consented, and hold up.

Holland's landscape design service runs from initial concept through to fully documented tender and council packages. We work directly with developers, architects, project managers and body corporates from masterplan stage through to handover. Every design starts with the site, not a Pinterest board: a proper walkover, levels, drainage observations, soil notes, sun and wind exposure, sightlines, access constraints, services and existing planting all get captured before a single line is drawn. The result is a plan rooted in what the site actually allows, not a render that falls apart on the first rain event.

Documentation is where most landscape designs in Auckland fall short and where ours stand up. We produce concept drawings with indicative costing, developed design with refined plant palette and hardscape detailing, then full construction documentation including planting plans, specifications, hardscape details, drainage layouts, irrigation zoning and lighting concept. Drawings are issued at the level a contractor can price accurately and a council planner can sign off without a third round of RFIs. Where consent under the Unitary Plan is triggered (tree protection, stream setbacks, esplanade reserves, subdivision landscape conditions) we coordinate with planning consultants and arborists to package the lodgement properly the first time.

Plant palettes are chosen for the microclimate, not the brochure. Auckland clay soils, coastal salt exposure, summer drought and winter wet all eliminate species that work fine in milder climates. We design around natives that perform reliably in commercial conditions and proven exotics where natives don't suit the brief. Hardscape materials are specified for slip resistance, UV longevity and realistic replacement cycles. Where a feature looks beautiful but will eat the long-term maintenance budget, we say so during concept rather than after handover.

What sets Holland's design service apart is the feedback loop with our build and care teams. Every design we produce is pressure-tested against what we know costs money to maintain and what fails on Auckland sites. Property managers running multi-site portfolios get a designer who treats the landscape as an operational asset, not a one-off art piece. We're not chasing magazine features, we're delivering plans that perform on year five, year ten, and beyond.