Company Profile
A Brief History
Landscape architect Frank Boffa established 'Frank Boffa and Associates' in Christchurch in September 1972. The practice grew steadily from a one-man business to today's New Zealand-wide company with offices in Christchurch (1972), Wellington (1976), Auckland (1985), and Tauranga (2000).
Boffa Miskell was one of the first specialist landscape architecture practices in the country. Later, the company expanded its range of expertise so it could offer a more complete environmental consulting service.
The company now employs ecologists, landscape architects, statutory planners, urban designers, cultural heritage advisors and specialists in digital data manipulation and graphic communication. Specialist services include community consultation and mediation, cultural heritage advice, heritage planning, master planning, resource planning and assessments of environmental effects for complex projects.
Some representative Boffa Miskell milestone projects are:
| 1972 | Belmont Regional Park: Pioneering example of open space planning. |
| 1973 | Governors Bay Environment Study, Canterbury: Leading example of land use planning based on informed analysis. |
| 1974 | Greenlane Regional Road Study, Auckland: One of the first (if not the first) Environmental Impact Report (EIR) carried out in New Zealand. |
| 1978 | Cook Islands Tourism Infrastructure Study: The company's first overseas project |
| 1984 | Motunui Synthetic Fuel Plant, New Plymouth: First large-budget landscape assessment and rehabilitation contract. |
| 1987 | Manukau Court, Manukau City: First major urban design project and winner of several design awards. |
| 1988 | HVDC Transmission Line Study, South-to-North Islands: Major route selection with multi-disciplinary input and innovative computer applications. |
| 1989 | Millbrook Resort, Queenstown: Master planning for a resort community and golf course development. |
| 1990 | Christchurch Waterways: A new approach to sustainable management of urban waterways, that transformed drains to environmental assets. |
| 1995 | Albany to Puhoi Road Realignment, Auckland: Innovative and influential advice for designation of route to minimise ecological damage from future major civil works. |
| 1996 | Nusa Jaya New Town,Malaysia: First Boffa Miskell multi-disciplinary team working overseas. |
| 1997 | Pegasus New Town, Canterbury: Boffa Miskell designers, planners and ecologists begin work on scoping and concept development for this ongoing project. |
| 1998 | Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand: Design and full implementation of outdoor exhibition and visitor facility spaces at a nationally prominent site. |
| 2000 | Project Aqua, South Canterbury: Commissioned to co-ordinate the complex resource consent application and assess the effects on the environment of a proposed major hydro-scheme. |
| 2001 | Wellington Built Heritage Inventory: Innovative and rigorous assessment of commercial heritage buildings. |
| 2002 | Te Apiti Wind Farm: Commissioned to carry out landscape and ecological assessments. The wind farm was completed in 2004 and was the first to feed into New Zealand's national electricity grid. |
| 2003 | Winegrowers of Ara, Marlborough: Boffa Miskell selected as member of the master planning team for significant Marlborough vineyard. |
| 2003 | Talbot Park Community Renewal Project: Led a project team that successfully tackled areas of entrenched social deprivation. |
| 2004 | Northern Gateway Alliance: Milestone alliance agreement with project partners to deliver environmental services to the ALBURT B2 motorway construction project. |
| 2004 | Wairarapa Combined District Plans: Project management and preparation of 'second generation' combined district plans for Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa District Councils. |
| 2005 | Auckland City Central Business District Streetscapes and Open Spaces: Work begins on comprehensive upgrade programme. |
| 2006 | Excelsa Village, Papamoa: Planning advice and landscape assessment for comprehensively designed mixed use community. For more information, see Boffa Miskell News, Issue 16. |
| 2006 | St Patrick's Square, Auckland: Commissioned by Auckland City Council to design $7.8 million comprehensive upgrade of St Patrick's Square, an important public green space around St Patrick's Cathedral. |
| 2007 | Christchurch Central City Urban Lanes: Inventory and design guide to enhance pedestrian movement and mixed use activity through historic service lanes. |