The jargon around land interests and spatial information can be a barrier to entry. Talk of datums, projections, geodetics, levels, easements, covenants, offsets, setbacks, contours, coordinates, topography, vectors, alignments, digital terrain models, etc.

My job is to help you navigate the lot¹.

Essentially it's all geometry: points, lines, planes, surfaces, and volumes. That's the easy part. The crux is working out how it all interacts with New Zealand's legal frameworks, where planning law meets the land.

This is where I bring in my skills. You're not just getting a draftsperson; you're getting someone who understands how your project interacts with the real world, and the human systems that govern it.

¹pun very much intended

The versatility of CAD software as an industry standard means this same set of geometric skills and property knowledge can be plied throughout the design sectors. The tools I use are chiefly Autodesk AutoCAD and Autodesk Civil 3D 

(but also, Trimble Business Centre, SketchUp, Photoshop, Illustrator and GIS) 

3-letter file extensions are part of the game, whether it's .dwg .shp .dxf .csv .las .laz .psd .eps .svg .skp .kml and .kmz 
(just a few to... you know... really get that Search Engine Optimisation cranking).

If your project requires these tools and the right person to wield them, then let's start planning schemes and scheming plans.

Subdivisions, land transfers, construction, and other property developments in New Zealand typically require two key items:

1.   Approval from your local planning authority

• e.g. Resource Consent under the Resource Management Act 1991

2.   Connection to your local survey system

• i.e. land boundaries, survey marks, and records of title; together forming NZ's land tenure framework as administered by Toitū te Whenua / LINZ

Both demand the careful arrangement of spatial data. The key is ensuring your project works in both theory and practice; it must function as a concept on paper, and crucially it has to work on the ground. Herein lies the benefit of having a land professional who can bridge those two worlds: someone to collate your land interests into a single framework, and then communicate it a way that is clear, comprehensible and pragmatic for the end-user, whether that's council, client, consultant, or contractor. 

The end result? Plans!

Delivered in a clear and tidy format. Crafted in AutoCAD and Civil3D.
Output in either digital or paper form.
- Paper: A1, A3, A4 prints and
- Digital: PDF / DWG / DXF / SHP

Examples of plan services include:

If you need some easy-to-follow graphics put on a plan, tailored to your local site, then let's get a) talking and b) ready to take your project to the next stage.

Drop me a line at dave@orizuru.co.nz

Feel free to attach a brief, outline, or back-of-the-envelope sketch. Or simply give me a call and we can go from there. Nice one!

Originally from the deep south of Waihōpai / Murihiku a.k.a. Invercargill / Southland, I learnt a rope or two at Otago University and cut my surveying teeth in Ōtautahi / Christchurch. Previous gigs include Fox and Associates in Canterbury and Paterson Pitts in the Queenstown Lakes District.

After a few stints up north and overseas, I've returned to my roots in the heart of Te Waipounamu (the South Island) for easiest access to the backcountry, looking to get amongst the slopes with skis or trail runners depending on the season ☀️/❄️. I'm also a guitar-playing cat-loving film-buff with a penchant for collecting more indoor house plants than safe or necessary.

Find me on LinkedIn:
David Patterson (personal)
ORIZURU CAD and Design (company)

Learn more about the ORIZURU brand here.