Apollo Projects have engaged r+m in providing landscape architectural services for the design, development, and construction of the new Taiora QEII Recreation and Sports Center in eastern Christchurch.
One of the design limitations was the establishment of a plantation design above contaminated soils left behind by the demolition of the former QEII complex. In order to overcome this, r+m designed mounted dune gardens to increase height above the capped soils, while also enhancing the character of the coastal landscape of the sites. Native plantings include species that once would have grown naturally within the area's old dune and estuarine ecosystems, such as Euphorbia glauca, Juncus pallidus, and Apodasmia similis.
The functional and aesthetic attributes of the comprehensive rain garden arrangement within the main car park are another key feature of the landscape design. Upon completion, stormwater runoff from the car park will be held and filtered by the rain gardens, and the expansive, hardstand area will be visually softened and broken.