2017 NSW Landscape Architecture Award Winners
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20 17 NSW Landscape Architecture Awards Principal Corporate Partner Major Corporate Partners Supporting Corporate Partners Principal NSW Partners Major NSW Partners Supporting NSW Partners Jury Report NSW AILA Awards 2017 The NSW 2017 awards jury was a diverse group of 7 landscape architects and urban designers. It consisted of three male and four female jurors and represented academia, government, large and small private practice and the AILA. The jury made the decision to undertake site visits to a select group of projects and found this process essential in fully understanding projects and informing decision making. With the largest number of award entries ever received, the 2017 NSW awards offered a true indication of the breadth of project work being undertaken by landscape architects. There is no doubt that NSW is experiencing a time of massive urban restructuring. Urban centres are densifying, expanding and growing at speed. Grey is threatening green and landscape architects are working on challenges of social equity and environmental resilience across all scales. The debate about open space in the city, how much, what type and where, continues to underpin most strategic investigations, yet the voice is now charged with a growing ‘evidence base’ to argue for better quality, better connectivity and more trees. As urban centres expand and densify, they are also connecting, and mega scaled infrastructure projects are being reconceptualised by landscape architects as catalysts for change. Landscape architects across the state are turning infrastructure projects once seen as environmental threats into vital opportunities for large scale remaking, restoration and environmental stewardship of the vast landscapes which they cross and connect. As new parts of cities grow and glow, other parts age and decay or are simply worn down by constant use by a growing urban population. Maintaining, restoring or reinvigorating the city is work never complete and this humble but essential work of many landscape architects offers connection with original project intentions, ensuring the city of the future is as timeless as it is modern. Despite or perhaps because of the volume of concrete being poured in NSW in recent years, this year’s award highlights were all about the power of plants. The pressures of urban living and population expansion is highlighting the dire need for trees in the urban and suburban environments, requiring deep engagement with communities to establish a stronger demand side for Green Infrastructure generally. On smaller projects too, the beauty of plants in lush collections featured heavily in both roof gardens and private gardens, perhaps a response to the increasingly compact characteristics of inner city living. Mark Tyrrell NSW Jury Chair Members of the Jury Mark Tyrrell Director, TYRRELLSTUDIO Jury Chair Mark Tyrrell is founder and director of multidisciplinary design firm TYRRELLSTUDIO. He holds degrees in architecture, urban design and landscape architecture. Mark leads a growing team of talented professionals working on a high volume of large scale public domain projects from the Sydney studio. Mark also has an ongoing consultancy and research focus surrounding the role of urban design in the transitional development of informal settlements. Mark is co-creative director of the 2017 Festival of Landscape Architecture ‘The Third City’. Emma Washington Landscape Architect, City Of Sydney Council Emma Washington (Brooks) is a landscape architect with 15 years experience in the design and implementation of places for people. Prior to her current role with the City of Sydney, she was involved in a broad range of public domain, masterplanning and regeneration projects in Australia, the UK, PNG and China. Of note is Emma’s contribution to award winning projects Great Lines Heritage Park (UK) and the regeneration of Bexhill-on-Sea (UK). Her current work focuses on strategic landscape advice and helping private landowners achieve high quality, sustainable landscapes within the City of Sydney. Emma is also currently undertaking a Masters of Environmental Law at the University of Sydney. Bruce Mackenzie AM, Bruce Mackenzie Design, Bruce Mackenzie and Assoc Landscape Architects For more than 50 years Bruce has pursued landscape architecture throughout Australia and Overseas. In the late 1970s he changed Bruce Mackenzie and Assoc to a dedicated design office operating solely in landscape architectural commissions. Encouraging the use of Indigenous Australian species began earlier when the words environment, ecology and indigenous were unknown within the Australian language. They now have become commonplace terms. Indigenous design is also an adopted standard in Australia and given the demands of climate change is particularly relevant. Saneia Norton Director, Saneia Norton Design Communication Saneia is a landscape architect with 17 years experience at the NSW Government Architect’s Office working with diverse stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams across the state. In 2016, Saneia founded SNDC to help designers connect with clients, stakeholders and collaborators through clear communication. She is a guest lecturer in design communication at UNSW and creator of the podcast ‘Dig Beneath Design’, where designers share personal insights and entertaining stories about presenting their ideas. Members of the Jury Maria Rigoli Landscape Architect, Associate DesignInc, Sydney Maria Rigoli is an Associate at DesignInc Sydney and has boundless Landscape Architecture experience with over 25 years expertise leading project teams, delivering well resolved landscape design and construction packages across Australia and Asia. Her experience ranges from residential landscape, public domain and recreational open space to infrastructure landscape design and Landscape Character and Visual Impact assessments. Maria’s significant projects include Barangaroo Reserve. Maria became the project landscape architect as the project went to tender and worked closely with the contractor throughout the design/construct process of the project. The project went on to win a number of national and international awards. Scott Hawken An Urban Designer, Landscape Architect and Landscape Archaeologist with expertise in mapping and designing green and blue infrastructure within urban landscapes. His work makes use of high-end geospatial technologies including GIS and remote sensing which enable the integration of “big-data” into real world applications. His work also engages with smart cities theory which seeks to identify how digital technologies are changing cities. Using 3D GIS his research is generating insights into specific knowledge innovation ecosystems within cities such as Sydney. Such research is important to help knowledge economies spatially adapt to digital disruption. His work has been featured in National Geographic and BBC documentaries and is changing the way we understand Southeast Asian cities Darlene van der Breggen Darlene is an architect and urbanist with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors of practice. She specialises in strategic design and design policy for urban development projects and is committed to delivering high quality environments that balance environmental considerations with public and commercial interest. Award Categories 01 Civic Landscape 02 Community Contribution 03 Cultural Heritage 04 Gardens 05 Infrastructure 06 Land Management 07 Landscape Planning 08 Parks & Open Space 09 Playspaces 10 Research, Policy & Communications 11 Small Projects 12 Tourism 13 Urban Design 14 IALD Landscape Lighting 15 Student 01 CIVIC LANDSCAPE CATEGORY Sponsored By: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AWARD MAITLAND LEVEE MCGREGOR COXALL MAITLAND CITY COUNCIL The Levee respects the historic character of Maitland high street and embodies a new identity for its future. The use of earth-toned porphyry paving and a sophisticated lighting strategy complements the turn of the century heritage buildings. This project demonstrates the value of investing in high quality civic spaces, with an impressive impact on vacancy rates in the town centre. The design supports a flexible program that is an attractor for locals and visitors, supporting the economic revitalisation of the region. The construction of the River Link building and river walk will complete the project vision, engaging the new heart of town with its unique river setting. PHOTOGRAPHER Florian Groehn ‘‘RESPECTS THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MAITLAND HIGH STREET AND EMBODIES A NEW IDENTITY FOR ITS FUTURE” CIVIC LANDSCAPE ENTRIES Urbis Pty Ltd // The Connection: Rhodes Community Precinct Photographer: Swarm UAV Camden Council // Argyle Street revitalisation Photographer: Unknown Sponsored By: 02 COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION CATEGORY Sponsored By: AWARD OF EXCELLENCE Cool Streets Pilot Project Gallagher Studio and Cred Consulting Dave Towns, Environmental Projects Officer, Blacktown City Council The Cool Street Pilot Project makes a significant and important contribution to managing climate resilience in suburban environments. This project demonstrates an exemplar level of community engagement: not just informing residents of imminent change, but educating, creating a sense of ownership and agency, and influencing opinions to achieve a positive outcome. The jury awarded an Award of Excellence due to the level of academic rigour underpinning this project, making the important transition from research to physical improvements on the ground that should set a precedent for landscape