2003 Christina Nicholson

Christina Nicholson is Director at Banksia & Lime and Lecturer in Landscape Architecture at UWA. Christina’s passion for contributing to a better life of community, family, food and nature through biodiversity, led her to founding Banksia & Lime as well as teaching future landscape architects at UWA. Previous to this, she worked for local government and private practice on award-winning sustainable projects. Her project experience is wide-ranging – from public parks, nature reserves and therapeutic landscapes to residential outdoor living spaces and community gardens.

Christina graduated from the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at UWA in 2003.

Why did you choose to study landscape architecture?
Christina Nicholson – The landscape architectural design process is perfect for expressing my creativity whilst feeding my interest in the healing qualities of nature for individuals and communities, a desire to heal the land and the privilege of working with incredible natural systems, flora and fauna. Also, I didn't know about the profession until I met a landscape architect at a party in 1997 and thought he was cool and so enrolled a few days later!

What was your most memorable class from your time at UWA, and why?
CN– The time Grant Revell invited a women who was a member of the Stolen Generations to studio, to talk about her childhood and its consequences. It was devastating and life changing; it made me a better person and designer.

During your time as a student, who was a key person of influence in developing your approach to landscape architecture, and why?
CN– Marco Vittino (of vittinoAshe). He introduced me to the beauty and joy of a pure creative process through the pleasure of delving into a world of unknown to design poetic creations with the finest details.

What did you learn at UWA that has been most influential during your career?
CN– That place can be designed to create meaning or to enhance and expose existing meaning. That landscape architectural design can tell stories and create connection to place for people through poetics, creativity, narrative, sense-of-place, ritual and so on.

What is one resource from your time at UWA that you return to, or that you feel has been most influential on you as a landscape architect? Why has it been influential?
CN– Romesh Goonewardene has us read and analyse A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein
with Max Jacobson, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King and Shlomo Angel. I resonated with its focus on the micro into the macro, local to global. It helped me feel courageous as a sole designer, that I could have a large impact on the world and most importantly that built form can have aliveness, spirit, a sense of wholeness or grace, the poetic ‘quality that has no name’.

What is a moment that stands out from your time studying landscape architecture at UWA?
CN – In first year, the moment that I realised the design process is pure escapism and expression, and, all of the T-Square Balls. Every. Single. One. (Also pure expression and escapism)!

Since your time at UWA, how have your ideas about the practice of landscape architecture changed?
CN– I was quite disappointed and sceptical about the values of the profession in the early 2000s. I wanted to help the environment and communities at a time when much of the profession was focused on landscape aesthetics and landscape as monument and graphic. There were very few practices that prioritised sustainability and I ended up working in multidisciplinary businesses that had a sustainability focus because there weren’t enough landscape architecture jobs that met my values.

Now I am so proud of the profession, the UWA Landscape Architecture program and AILA, as they are powerfully leading the way into an uncertain future with courage, determination and creativity.

What is a moment that stands out for you, in your career so far?
CN– Winning an AILA WA Award of Excellence for Reed House. I was so relieved that all my years of practicing design that prioritises connection to place and environmental sustainability had created such a beautiful place that was acknowledged as wonderful by others. It was also a great moment to champion complex planting design with local species, part of working towards reconciliation.

Could share a significant project that you’ve worked or are working on? Why has this project been significant for you?
CN – I am designing a garden for a beautiful vittinoAshe project. ‘The Tower’ has a local story embedded in its concept, and my design responded to this story. The clients love the design, and I was nervous presenting to Marco and Katherine as I am such a big fan of their finely detailed work with embedded meaning.

Marco’s response was, with a big smile, ‘It’s beautiful.’ It is powerful to have your creative expression accepted by those that you admire; it keeps me in the design and teaching world despite the challenges of life.

Do you have any advice for current landscape architecture students at the School of Design?
CN – Live your life like a designer; always be curious, observant and responsive to new things, take joy in the small, simple and the poetic and use these to create larger beautiful systems responding to the world's problems.

Any other stories, memories or reflections on the landscape architecture program at UWA that you'd like to share?
CN – Learning the design process, at UWA at that exciting time in its program, with those great and diverse minds teaching us, was revelatory and healing for me and one of the best things I have ever done, despite its challenges.

I met my future husband and another best friend there, and catching up with my cohort at AILA events or through work always feels like a happy reunion. Everyone is doing such amazing, groundbreaking work. I am proud to be an alumni of the program and extra proud to be teaching in it.

Also, remember when the ALVA students were banned from ever hosting a party at the Perth Zoo again after the WILD T-Square ball?

This interview was undertaken in 2023. It has been edited for clarity and cohesion.

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Image: Reed House Garden by Banksia & Lime (via bankisalime.com.au)