Megan Mary Wraight (12 December 1961 – 31 August 2020) was a New Zealand

landscape architect A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manage ...

who had considerable influence on the design of

public spaces A public space is a place that is open and accessible to the general public. Roads, pavements, public squares, parks, and beaches are typically considered public space. To a limited extent, government buildings which are open to the public, su ...

. She was the founding principal of Wraight + Associates Limited, which has completed a wide variety of large-scale urban projects throughout New Zealand, including waterfront redevelopments, educational facilities, transport facilities and urban-renewal projects.

Biography

Wraight was born in Rangiora and lived in rural settings there,

Havelock North Havelock North () is a town in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, situated less than 2 km south-east of the city of Hastings. It was a borough for many years until the 1989 reorganisation of local government saw it merg ...

and

Motueka Motueka is a town in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the mouth of the Motueka River on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is the second largest in the Tasman Region, with a population of as of The surrounding district has a numb ...

as she was growing up. Wraight completed a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at

RMIT University The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (abbreviated as RMIT University) is a public research university located in the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia., section 4(b) Established in 1887 by Francis Ormond, it is the seventh-o ...

, Melbourne, in 1992. In 2006, she received the International Federation of Landscape Architect award, one of the industry's highest international honours, and in 2013 she was the first landscape architect to receive the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Award. Wraight started her own practice in 1998 - Megan Wraight Landscape Architects. It was restructured into Wraight + Associates in 2003. Her

Waitangi Park Waitangi Park is a remodelled recreational space in Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand, that was opened in 2006. It lies near Te Papa (the National Museum of New Zealand), Former Post and Telegraph Building and Courtenay Place. The facility incl ...

project in Wellington showcased sustainable landscape design, particularly water conservation, and her work on the

Wynyard Quarter Looking towards Wynyard Quarter from Auckland Sky Tower, with approximate boundary drawn in red The Wynyard Quarter (historically also known as the Western Reclamation, Wynyard Point, Wynyard Wharf or Tank Farm) is a reclaimed piece of lan ...

on Auckland's waterfront is an example of urban waterfront renewal. The Taranaki Wharf precinct in Wellington was a collaboration between

Ian Athfield Sir Ian Charles Athfield (known as Ath) (15 July 1940 – 16 January 2015) was a New Zealand architect who designed distinctive and innovative houses that challenged suburban norms, as well as celebrated commercial, public and institutional pro ...

(architect), Graeme McIndoe, Chris McDonald, Stuart Niven (urban designers), Wraight and Penny Allen (landscape architects). Wraight + Associates also designed Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington, and have won many awards from the

New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects The New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects Tuia Pito Ora (NZILA) is the professional body for landscape architects in NZ. The institute was founded in 1972, and provides registration to individuals and accreditation to education providers ...

, including four of the top awards in 2017.

Projects and awards

Some of Wraight + Associates' projects include: * The development of

, Taranaki Wharf, CentrePort and the Lambton Harbour Masterplan on Wellington's Waterfront * The Hood Street Upgrade, Hamilton *

Waitomo Caves Waitomo is a rural community in the King Country region of New Zealand's North Island. There are several solutional cave systems in the area around the village, which are popular tourist attractions. Restaurants and accommodation are centred in ...

Visitors' Centre, with Architecture Workshop * Christchurch Coastal Pathway *

, Jellicoe Street, North Wharf and Silo Park on Auckland's waterfront * Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington, as Wraight Athfield Landscape + Architecture Ltd (WALA) (Category Winner, Parks category, NZILA awards 2017) *

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington (), also known by its shorter names "VUW" or "Vic", is a public university, public research university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and w ...

Hub - Wraight + Associates Ltd with Athfield , Architectus (NZILA Award of Excellence, Institutional category, 2017) *Cenotaph Precinct Upgrade, Wraight + Associates Ltd & Wellington City Council Urban Design Team (Category Winner, Urban spaces category, NZILA awards 2017) * Redevelopment of Memorial Square in

New Lynn New Lynn is a residential suburb in West Auckland, New Zealand, West Auckland, New Zealand, located 10 kilometres to the southwest of the Auckland CBD, Auckland city centre. The suburb is located along the Whau River, one of the narrowest poi ...

in 1998.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wraight, Megan 1961 births 2020 deaths New Zealand landscape architects RMIT University alumni Women in architecture in New Zealand