Awards celebrate Victoria’s best landscape architecture

03 Jun, 2021

Tullamore Southern Gully Reserve by MDG Landscape Architects was recognised with a Landscape Architecture Award (Parks and Open Space category). Image courtesy of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.

Victoria’s finest outdoor spaces and landscape architects were recognised during a virtual Victoria Landscape Architecture Awards event on Wednesday.

The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) recognised seven Awards of Excellence and 11 Landscape Architecture Awards across 13 categories, highlighting landscape architects that delivered above and beyond the sole purpose of the project, championing collaboration, placemaking and commitment to the community.

The virtual event commended outstanding individual contributions to the profession, for their commitment to supporting public life as critical to both the revitalisation and recovery plan of Victoria’s cities and economy.

AILA Victoria Landscape Architecture Awards Jury Chair, Naomi Barun, said this year’s winners challenged and pushed the boundaries of landscape and architecture practice and demonstrated a continued commitment to creating high-quality places that support public life.

“The past year has seen changes in the way public places are valued, with the rediscovery and enabling of new forms of connection and expression. These places became the backdrop for social exchange, exercise and mental reprieve,” Ms Barun said.

“The demand for locally accessible outdoor areas saw privately managed open space repositioned. Private landscapes were used as venues for organised gatherings and work meetings and communities relied on public spaces for economic recovery of our cities.”

“This year saw a record number of entries, reflecting a desire to celebrate the amazing successes but importantly acknowledging the significant contribution both before and during 2020,” she said.

“Submissions were centred around Victoria’s need to connect, play, roam, to give back to the community and to proactively adapt for the unforeseen.”

Across the Civic Landscape and Urban Design categories, the jury saw value placed on connecting people and elevating elements required to make it successful in a new COVID-world.

Winners in these categories embodied a commitment to bringing life to a city that was concealed from its community during a vulnerable 12 months, prioritising healthy communities in their response to the needs of an ever-growing population in the inner suburbs.

Landscape architects continued this theme through the Parks and Open Space, Play Spaces, and Gardens categories, highlighting the importance of green space and the vital role it plays.

AILA Victoria President, Heath Gledhill, said the annual awards program is an opportunity to provide insight into the way the industry is responding to public needs, showcasing the many creative ways in which leading landscape architects interpret space, context and connection to a place.

“The awards provide a vehicle to publicly promote and demonstrate to industry, business, government and the wider community the positive impact the profession has on Australian lives through the planning and design of the built and natural environments,” Mr Gledhill said.

“We are proud to celebrate the talent and commitment of the industry and are thrilled to see the depth and breadth of all entries and their commitment to ensuring the values of the profession are articulated throughout.”

“Collectively, this year’s recipients stood out as exceptional places that connect communities, bring comfort by adapting micro-climates, and reveal the beauty of our state and our relationship with it,” he commented.

“The range of diverse projects awarded set an inspiring benchmark for landscape architecture and give the industry inspiration to continue to think bigger and broader into the future.”

Winners in the 2021 Victoria Landscape Architecture Awards

Award: Award of Excellence

Category: Health and Education Landscape

Project: Albert Park Senior College Campus

Landscape Architect: Site Office

Aboriginal Nation: Kulin Nation

Award: Award of Excellence

Category: Civic Landscape

Project: Station Street Mall Frankston

Landscape Architect: Site Office & City of Frankston

Aboriginal Nation: Bunurong

Award: Award of Excellence

Category: Infrastructure

Project: Reimagining Your Creek

Landscape Architect: REALMstudios with Alluvium Consulting and E2DesignLab

Aboriginal Nation: Kulin Nation

Award: Award of Excellence

Category: Urban Design

Project: Brunswick Street Streetscape Plan

Landscape Architect: RushWright and Associates

Aboriginal Nation: Wurundjeri

Award: Award of Excellence

Category: Research, Policy and Communications

Project: LXRP Indigenous Design Guidelines

Landscape Architect: Level Crossing Removal Project

Aboriginal Nation: Kulin Nation

Award: Award of Excellence

Category: Small Projects

Project: Albert Park Office + Depot

Landscape Architect: Openwork + Christina Silk Office For Planting

Aboriginal Nation: Kulin Nation

Award: Award of Excellence

Category: Gardens

Project: Coastal Woodland Garden

Landscape Architect: Robyn Barlow Design

Aboriginal Nation: Bunurong