Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 152 November i Landscape Architecture Australia

 VALE SUZY BOYD (1954–2016) Tract Consultants is sad to share the news that Suzy a’Beckett Penleigh Boyd died on Sunday 7 August 2016 and offers condolences to Suzy’s husband Graeme, her daughter Lucy and her extended friends and family. Suzy came from an a family of noted painters, sculptors, architects, writers and other arts professionals. She trained as an architect and spent much of her career at Tract Consultants, practising as a landscape architect. She first joined Tract in the early 1980s. Steve Calhoun fondly remembers her as “a straight shooter that didn’t mince words or suffer fools.” Suzy was instrumental in establishing the Robin Boyd Foundation for the house that she grew up in at Walsh Street, South Yarra (designed by her father Robin Boyd). Suzy will be remembered…

Concrete – manufactured from the natural materials of sand, stone, limestone, clay and water – offers a world of opportunity for the building of durable, functional and attractive urban landscape projects. Concrete can be coloured, textured and moulded into an endless variety of landscape features, making it a highly dexterous and versatile construction material. Its resistance to the natural erosion of water, wind and fire gives concrete the permanence, resilience and durability that is often required in the harsh Australian environment. When coupled with good design and construction practice, concrete can be used to create beautiful urban landscapes that are built to last. Darling Quarter Concrete was used extensively in the award-winning Darling Quarter urban park and play space by Aspect Studios in Sydney. The combination of water erosion and…

“The landscape designs are bold, progressive and conversant with the language of [the] building facades.” Location Brisbane, Queensland Client Queensland Health Photography Christopher Frederick Jones, Ethan Rohloff JURY COMMENT The Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital project, in inner-city Brisbane, has taken landscape architecture beyond the conventional two-dimensional realm and show that design innovation can lead to tangible benefits for health and wellbeing. The rooftop subtropical landscapes, community spaces and vertical gardens are clear evidence of effective design collaboration between project partners on what was a complex and challenging site. The design capitalizes on and creates clever relationships within its urban location and provides for public amenity at a variety of scales. The new civic space on Vulture Street is a significant addition to the public environment of South Bank and demonstrates…

BARANGAROO RESERVE Recipient Johnson Pilton Walker in association with PWP Location Sydney, New South Wales Client Barangaroo Development Authority Photography Coptercam JURY COMMENT Barangaroo Reserve is a project with vision. It reconnects Sydney’s waterfront by re-establishing its historical shoreline and restoring one of Sydney’s five inner-harbour headlands. The result crosses the boundaries between the old, the very old and the new in order to create an iconic open space for the future. Executed with fine detail, the project will become recognizable worldwide, thereby enhancing Sydney’s identity. But the project goes deeper than this, reflecting its historical and cultural heritage, opening up an important part of the city’s foreshore for everyone to use, and providing new habitat for threatened and declining indigenous species. For more coverage see Landscape Architecture Australia 149,…

“... Hart’s Mill Surrounds has almost single-handedly transformed how South Australians view ‘The Port’ by adaptively reshaping the precinct and opening it up for public uses.” Location Adelaide, South Australia Client Renewal SA Photography Don Brice JURY COMMENT Port Adelaide is one of Australia’s most valuable and least developed post-industrial waterfronts. Over the past decade it has been the subject of a slow-burn renewal through many state government and local council initiatives designed to re-energize “The Port.” Within this context, Hart’s Mill Surrounds has almost single-handedly transformed how South Australians view “The Port” by adaptively reshaping the precinct and opening it up for public uses. The former mill, a heritage-listed waterfront building, provides the backdrop for a contemporary new play space, while the sensitively and adaptively re-used flour shed is…

SHIPWRECK COAST MASTER PLAN Recipient McGregor Coxall Location Victoria Client Parks Victoria Photography Robert Blackburn JURY COMMENT Shipwreck Coast in south-western Victoria is recognized worldwide and attracts thousands of visitors annually. Yet these tourists unwittingly threaten the very existence of the landscape they are coming to see, and in turn pose a threat to the communities that survive on their presence. In this masterplan, the landscape architects have worked collaboratively to explore strategies to manage and promote ecotourism along this iconic coastline, in a way that protects its fragile state. The result is an integrated and cohesive plan that tackles issues holistically, exploring sustainable management practices that balance the desire for perpetual visitation with conservation and habitat preservation. It also provides a framework for investment as funding allows, while providing…

“It’s a bold project that seeks to draw from the community, to inform decision makers and leaders and to provide a vision for Parramatta.” Location Parramatta, New South Wales Client Parramatta City Council JURY COMMENT Great landscape architecture often involves embrac-ing elements of the natural environment to stimulate design thinking. When this is applied in an urban design situation, opportunities arise to change the focus of a city. The Parramatta City River Strategy is such a project. It sets out to rediscover the natural aesthetic of the river and, consequentially, to recali-brate the economy of Sydney’s second CBD. It’s a bold project that seeks to draw from the community, to inform decision makers and leaders and to provide a vision for Parramatta. It pulls together transport frameworks, recreational corridors and…

Location Hunter Valley, New South Wales Photography Dianna Snape JURY COMMENT Exercising design restraint is important in landscape architecture, and the designers of the Forest Edge Garden in New South Wales’s lower Hunter Valley have done this to perfection. The designer worked to establish trust with the client before treading lightly in an adventure to explore and unleash the natural characteristics of the site. The approach has been to bring together the site’s geology, flora and aspect, along with the transitional patterns of fire and drought, to deliver a garden that draws its aesthetic appeal from the landscape in which it sits. The design focuses on resilience, from careful species selection to careful water management regimes. Forest Edge Garden maintains all the usual elements of a residential garden, but it…

FIONA STANLEY HOSPITAL Recipient Hassell Location Perth, Western Australia Client WA Department of Health Photography Peter Bennetts JURY COMMENT Fiona Stanley Hospital is a worldclass example of the integration of landscape spaces across a large public health facility. Within a diverse multidisciplinary team, the landscape architects ensured that a holistic view of the entire precinct was maintained. The integration of environmentally sustainable design solutions, including the salvaging and replanting of existing vegetation and water-sensitive urban design techniques, marks this as a highly successful project. The rooftop gardens are a distinctive and popular feature of the facility, while the natural environment of this project is already benefiting the hospital’s patients and workers. For more coverage see Landscape Architecture Australia 144, November 2014: landscapeaustralia.com/articles/fiona-stanley-hospital-landscapes LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT HASSELL (AS PART OF THE FIONA…

Location Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Client National Capital Authority Photography Brett Boardman JURY COMMENT The exemplary design and delivery of Bowen Place Crossing demonstrate the benefits that well-designed, integrated and contextual infrastructure can provide cities, particularly when designed with a landscape approach. Located within the national capital’s Parliamentary Zone, the project not only improves access and connects people with Lake Burley Griffin, it also reinforces the civic nature of Canberra’s Burley Griffin Plan. The sculptural qualities of the project reinforce the designers’ vision of building more than a physical link across Kings Avenue. The project responds to existing geometries and creates new views to the National Carillon. The scale, fluidity, material selection and landscape of Bowen Place Crossing reference the land art movement as well as Canberra’s modernist landscape architecture…

COMPLETION OF THE COURTYARDS AT THE SHRINE OF REMEM-BRANCE Recipient Rush\Wright Associates Location Melbourne, Victoria Client Shrine of Remembrance Trustees Photography Peter Bennetts JURY COMMENT The Shrine of Remembrance looms large in Melbourne’s landscape, creating one of Australia’s most poignant sites of cultural memory. Completing the major recent development of the Shrine, the new stage two courtyard gardens provide a fine addition to this much-visited and well-loved site. These courtyards are critical to the overall redevelopment plan and also add depth and expression as bespoke spaces with their own character. The jury was pleased to see that the conceptual integrity of the individual projects remains intact despite the long time span of the redevelopment, which is a testament to the vision and the continuation of the design process by the…

“The work is beautifully detailed and provides a replicable prototype for the development of other components of this fragile landscape in the future.” Location Phillip Island, Victoria Client Phillip Island Nature Parks Photography Tract Consultants, Phillip Island Nature Parks JURY COMMENT Penguins Plus is a highly site-specific project on Phillip Island’s spectacular coast, in which the visitor experience is dominated by the quality of the environment and the appeal of the fauna. A contoured structure with a curved boardwalk and stepped viewing area sits sympathetically in the coastal landscape, providing a wide range of visitor viewing options, while the improved lighting system reduces the impact on the penguin habitat. This project has clearly been informed by the comprehensive Summerland Peninsula Master Plan as well as a design guideline manual. The…

ELIZABETH QUAY Recipient ARM + TCL Location Perth, Western Australia Client Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority Photography Loft Productions JURY COMMENT In a bold gesture celebrating art, design and pure fun, Elizabeth Quay is fantasy made reality. In the heart of Perth’s waterfront, the project reconnects the city with the Swan River in a way that promotes exuberant public participation and engagement. The project is landscape theatre, combining natural elements such as water and trees with dazzling lighting and sculptural architecture. At the same time, the new mixed-use development ensures that waterfront activities are enriched by supporting built form and an activated ground plane. Integral to the design is recognition of its place, through botanically correct planting and opportunities for public artwork, while stormwater is effectively managed to provide irrigation and good…

“The project moves beyond the often literal clichés of ethnic branding and explores multicultural notions of place and space in our public streetscape environments.” Location Dandenong, Victoria Client City of Greater Dandenong and Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship Photography Andrew Lloyd, Hilton Stone JURY COMMENT The Afghan Bazaar Cultural Precinct celebrates the concentration of Afghan businesses along Thomas Street in Melbourne’s Dandenong. The jury highly commends this project for its multivalent approach to community engagement and its exploration and recognition of the diverse Afghan communities in Dandenong, as well as deep collaborations between artists, landscape architects, community members, traders and local government. The project moves beyond the often literal clichés of ethnic branding and explores multicultural notions of place and space in our public streetscape environments. The stakeholder consultation…

NORTH SHORE ESTATE Recipient CALDesign Location Warrawee, New South Wales Client Christopher and Elizabeth Janssen Photography Peter Brennan JURY COMMENT It’s easy to become overwhelmed by a blank canvas and a client whose vision is only to create something welcoming. In such situations, the role of the landscape architect is to show restraint and carefully pull all of the desirable features into a cohesive whole. The garden of North Shore Estate in Sydney’s northern suburbs achieves this. Using heritage-listed oak trees as a starting point, the design seeks to evoke a sense of relaxed formality that expresses balance and unity. At the same time, repurposing the old swimming pool allows for the capturing of precious rainwater, while various rooms in the garden provide diverse experiences. All this is beautifully executed…

“What could have easily been a ‘free-for-all’ across a stream has become a chance to take in a snapshot of something spectacular ...” Location Grampians National Park, Victoria Client Parks Victoria Photography Andrew Lloyd JURY COMMENT When you’re in the great outdoors, it’s easy to succumb to the beauty and scale of the landscape around you. But every now and then, you need some guidance – a light touch on the shoulder to point out something spectacular, or a gentle deviation in a trail to focus your attention on something that could have easily passed you by. The MacKenzie Falls Trail achieves this experiential quality in a way that is so subtle, it’s likely most people won’t realize they’ve been led astray. The standout quality is the focus on preserving…

SYDNEY PARK WATER RE-USE PROJECT STAGE 2 Recipient Turf Design Studio and Environmental Partnership (TDEP) Location Sydney, New South Wales Client City of Sydney Photography Ethan Rohloff JURY COMMENT Integrating ecology, play, stakeholder management, engineering and sustainable water management requirements within an existing and well-loved inner-city park is a difficult brief in any context. The collaborative approach taken to tackling these issues at Sydney Park has successfully addressed them all and led to a highly resolved, considered and thoughtful design. The project beautifully expresses the forms, shapes, context, ecology and management of water, while also focusing on people, place, habitat and ecology. Diverse users coexist easily within the park, which raises awareness of the value of well-managed, well-designed, functional and valuable inner-city green space. This latest stage in a significant…

THE GAP AND NATURAL BRIDGE Recipient Department of Parks and Wildlife (WA) Location Albany, Western Australia Client Department of Parks and Wildlife (WA) Photography Department of Parks and Wildlife (WA) JURY COMMENT This extraordinary project elevates The Gap and Natural Bridge tourist sites to international significance. The design delicately responds to the sensitive site while seamlessly connecting with its surrounding landscape setting. The Department of Parks and Wildlife has a clear understanding of site, including how people might better interact with it, and the planning and design solution adopted to manage and control the visitor experience, is exemplary in its execution. The hard landscape forms, clever use of material and attention to detail soften the engineering robustness of this project, making the walkway structure feel as if it is draped…

THE GREEN SPACE STRATEGY Recipient John Mongard, Gavin Hardy, Alvin Kirby, Michelle Kirby-Brown Location West End, Highgate Hill and South Brisbane, Queensland Client West End Community Association (WECA), Kurilpa Futures, Transition Kurilpa JURY COMMENT The Kurilpa Peninsula includes the suburbs of West End, Highgate Hill and South Brisbane. As is often the case in areas of rapid urbanization and densification in Australia, the peninsula’s population is projected to increase markedly and the vast majority of new residents will be apartment dwellers without private gardens. The Green Space Strategy is the result of a number of community forums along with pro bono work between local landscape architects and three community groups. The jury acknowledges the project team for its insight and leadership in working with local communities for over twenty years…

 Location Nanjing, China Client Nanjing Tangshan Construction Investment and Development Company Photography Johnson Lin JURY COMMENT In this new category, the jury identified the Fangshan Tangshan National Geopark Museum public realm as a standout project of international significance. The site is an ancient quarry where significant human relics were discovered in 1993 within Paleozoic-era geologic formations. The project provides an experiential and immersive gateway and forecourt for the new Fangshan Tangshan National Geopark Museum, designed by architect Studio Odile Decq. The gateway plaza and surrounding parkland connections define the public domain of the site, creating a “geopark” and a major new international tourist destination for Nanjing. Sweeping forms reveal the geology and reinforce the site’s history and contemporary interpretation, while the design includes direct references to characteristics of the Paleozoic…

SURABAYA URBAN CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Recipient Hansen Partnership Location Surabaya, Indonesia Client The World Bank, the City Government of Surabaya JURY COMMENT The Surabaya Urban Corridor Development Program provides comprehensive analysis for an urban corridor alongside a new light rail/tram route passing through the city centre. It focuses on building local capability in urban design thinking and leadership, coupled with community-led workshops and meetings with local officials and design professionals. The project was an opportunity for knowledge exchange on sustainability, densification, heritage, economic development and connectivity that helps ensure the successful development of the next stage of the project. Communicating often complex and sophisticated ideas in a non-English speaking nation, with respect for local customs and approaches, creates an intellectual exchange worthy of recognition. In this case, Australian landscape architects…