Who do I need - an architect, landscape designer or a garden designer?
An architect has a university qualification, while designers may have qualifications but they do not have to in order to call themselves designers. Below are are some explanations from NZ authorities.
What's a landscape architect?
According to the NZ Institute of Landscape architects landscape architects are "academically qualified professionals who focus upon landscapes, how we interact with them, and how they can be enhanced through sustainable design."
What's a landscape designer and garden designer?
Both Careers NZ and Unitec uses these terms interchangeably and Careers NZ also includes landscaper in this. They say "Landscapers design, develop, maintain and remodel gardens and landscapes."
Unitec NZ says "from residential gardens to public parks, landscape designers create inspiring, innovative and functional green spaces. Study landscape design and you’ll learn how to assess a site, design a garden, and choose the right plants and shrubs that will thrive. It’s a creative career with lots of scope to come up with your own designs and apply them to all sorts of different environments." click here for more information
They may or may not have landscaping qualifications, however many do. Some belong to the Registered Master Landscapers NZ.
