Jeremy Morris

Jeremy Morris had always wanted to be an architect, but it wasn’t until he began undergraduate studies that he discovered a passion for landscape architecture.

“Landscape architecture just had so much to offer,” he explains. “The vastness and broadness was something that I responded to well. It made me realise that I was interested in planning, mapping, and figuring out how to connect places and buildings, rather than the design of the buildings themselves.”

Jeremy has worked on a variety of projects that cover all aspects of landscape architecture, from investigating the landscape structure and settlement ecologies of the Porirua region to help define a growth strategy, to researching ways that a light rail system could open up and transform parts of Wellington.

“During the course of my Master’s programme, I have become very excited about trying to create a better future through planning and design,” says Jeremy. “New Zealand’s population is still growing and sprawling—taking over more and more land. What interests me is balancing population growth with ecological growth, testing new methods of densification and urbanisation while at the same time making natural areas more accessible and usable, and integrating these systems into our cities. I am also interested in better connecting cities through greener modes of transport, and how these networks can open up areas of the city, creating new community spaces to be designed.”

Jeremy gained a lot of inspiration from his lecturers as well as other architects in practice, who he would listen to at regular guest lectures hosted by the School. These industry connections opened his eyes to the possibilities a career in this field could provide.

“My time at the Wellington School of Architecture has exceeded my expectations. I had no idea what Landscape Architecture was going to be about when I was entering second year, but majoring in it and now studying it for my Master’s has opened my eyes to the industry. I am happy to have chosen it as a degree, and I look forward to embarking on a career in the field.”