Boyden Evans and Rachel de Lambert honoured with NZILA Life Membership

Boyden Evans and Rachel de Lambert have been made Life Members of Tuia Pito Ora New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects, recognising their outstanding and enduring contributions to the Institute and a shared commitment to the practice of landscape architecture.

It is a fitting acknowledgement of their influence on the way landscapes are planned and designed in Aotearoa New Zealand. Across careers spanning four decades, they have shaped significant places, advanced professional knowledge and practice, and supported generations of landscape architects.

Boyden Evans joined Boffa Miskell first, in 1986; Rachel de Lambert joined the following year. Their leadership, generosity and commitment has left an enduring mark on our company's practice and culture.

Boyden completed a Bachelor of Science in botany and pedology at Victoria University of Wellington, followed by a postgraduate Diploma in Landscape Architecture at Lincoln University. After early roles with the Department of Lands and Survey and the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, he joined Boffa Miskell’s Wellington office. He became a director soon afterwards and remained closely involved in the company’s leadership until his retirement in 2025.

Across his career, Boyden has been a pioneer in landscape planning and landscape and visual effects assessment. His work encompassed regional and district-wide landscape studies, infrastructure and renewable energy, open-space planning, environmental rehabilitation, master planning and design. He helped advance assessment methods and strengthened the place of landscape considerations in planning and development decisions.

His influence can be seen across Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington and beyond. Projects include Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the Wellington Town Belt Management Plan, Mt Victoria / Matairangi, Great Harbour Way – Te Aranui o Pōneke and the Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway. He also played an important part in Aotearoa New Zealand’s emerging renewable energy sector, preparing the landscape and visual assessment and presenting expert evidence for Te Āpiti Wind Farm, the first wind farm to supply electricity to the national grid.

Boyden’s contribution extends well beyond his project work. From 1981 to 1991, he was co-editor of The Landscape, then the official journal of the Institute, helping to raise the visibility and standards of both the publication and the profession. He has contributed to Institute conferences, workshops and committees; supported the Wellington branch; mentored graduates and emerging practitioners; and helped review the Institute’s membership honour categories. In 2022, he received the NZILA President’s Award for his pioneering contribution to landscape planning.

Within Boffa Miskell, Boyden championed innovation, sustainability and high professional standards. He supported the development of ecology as a distinct discipline within the company and encouraged the early adoption of digital and GIS technology. Just as importantly, he invested considerable time in people, guiding generations of landscape architects and planners with care, patience and intellectual rigour.

Rachel de Lambert completed a Bachelor of Horticultural Science and a Diploma in Landscape Architecture with distinction at Lincoln College. Her early interest in cultural and historic landscapes was reflected in her dissertation, Historic Landscape Conservation in New Zealand. She joined Boffa Miskell in 1987, initially working in the Christchurch office before moving to Auckland in 1991. She later spent two years establishing the company’s Tauranga presence. Her long history with the company has been characterised by curiosity, collaborative leadership and a determination to make places better for people and the environment. 

Rachel's career spans landscape architecture, urban design, masterplanning, environmental planning, heritage and landscape assessment. She played leading roles in many of Aotearoa’s most significant urban transformation projects. These include the long-term regeneration of Wynyard Quarter and the Spaces and Places anchor projects within the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan, where she led work on Te Papa Ōtākaro Avon River Precinct, Cathedral Square and the Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial. Her extensive portfolio also encompasses regional landscape studies, town-centre revitalisation, public-realm design and complex urban regeneration and development projects. 

Rachel consistently advocates for place-based, culturally grounded and people-focused outcomes. Her ability to connect landscape, ecology, culture and urban form enables her to challenge assumptions and find opportunities to deliver environmental and social benefits alongside commercially viable outcomes. 

Rachel’s influence also extends to the intellectual foundations of contemporary landscape practice. As one of the three principal authors of Te Tangi a te Manu: Aotearoa New Zealand Landscape Assessment Guidelines, she helped produce a foundational resource that brings Te Ao Māori and Te Ao Pākehā perspectives together within landscape assessment practice. Rachel and her co-authors received an NZILA President’s Award in 2021 for this important contribution. 

Her service to the profession has included a term on the Institute’s Executive Committee, approximately a decade as NZILA Registrar, participation in academic accreditation panels and an important role in organising the 2013 International Federation of Landscape Architects World Congress in Auckland. She continues to contribute through design review, professional forums and the mentoring of emerging practitioners.

Rachel’s contribution has been recognised across the landscape architecture, property, urban design, resource management and architecture professions. Her honours include the 2022 Ignite Architects Urban Design Award and Property Council New Zealand Supreme Excellence Award, the 2022 RMLA Outstanding Person Award and the 2026 Garvey Cup from Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects.

Boyden and Rachel’s Life Memberships celebrate careers defined by integrity, principled leadership and commitment to the landscapes and people of Aotearoa New Zealand. Their influence can be seen in the places they have helped shape, the knowledge and experience they have shared, and the many practitioners they have mentored along the way. They have a lasting legacy within Boffa Miskell and across the profession.