The 2013 New South Wales Landscape Architecture Awards were announced by AILA on 5 December 2013 at Sydney’s Luna Park. The highest award – the 2013 Medal for Landscape Architecture – went to the Prince Alfred Park and Pool by Sue Barnsley Design and Neeson Murcutt Architects with City of Sydney. On the jury were Paul Melrose, chair (previous Awards convenor and juror); Adrian Pilton (Johnson Pilton Walker); Helen Armstrong (professor, QUT); David Tooby (King + Campbell); Barbara Schaffer (Government Architect’s Office); Sarah Hill (Planning Institute Australia), Paul Berkemeier (national president, Australian Institute of Architects), Laurie Mah (Fairfield City Council).
Medal for Landscape Architecture
Prince Alfred Park and Pool – Sue Barnsley Design & Neeson Murcutt Architects with City of Sydney
Prince Alfred Park and Pool by Sue Barnsley Design & Neeson Murcutt Architects with City of Sydney. Image:
Brett Boardman
Jury citation: Located near Central Station, this park was a forgotten place with a neglected swimming pool in poorly maintained open space, bordered by busy roads and rail tracks thus providing little amenity for local workers and residents. The re-vitalised park now provides numerous recreational opportunities as well as contributing visual delight to the many motorists passing by where views into the park create an enchanting interplay between the old and the new. Along the Cleveland St boundary, native grasses under old fig avenues form an open meadow landscape and allow atmospheric pastoral vistas deep into the park, evoking times past and a sense of mystery. In contrast, the many people who drive along the eastern boundary are delighted by the cluster of playful vents emerging out of an extended bank of shimmering long grasses forming a partial roof over the renewed pool.
Artful park elements, including park lighting and play structures, are designed and arranged to refer to the early uses of the park for Victorian era exhibitions and agricultural shows; whereas new activities such as playing courts, fitness nodes, playgrounds and picnic tables are concentrated along the railway edge and new share-way. The new pool and its facilities are shielded from a busy road by a folded landscape including a green roof of native meadow grasses and two triangular-shaped mounds which define the outdoor area of the pool. Quizzically angled mesh fencing also provides pool enclosure as a playful ribbon in the landscape, dancing around and on top of the mounds.
The park design has successfully created a new bio-diverse urban ecology with its non-irrigated meadows, the green roof, site wide stormwater management and new mounds containing soils from building works. Innovative management practices deepen the environmental integrity of the parkland, including slashing regimes, reseeding, infill planting programmes and weed management.
1 Bligh Street by Sue Barnsley Design.
Image: HG Esch
Design in Landscape Architecture Awards
1 Bligh Street – Sue Barnsley Design
Cranbrook Junior School – ASPECT Studios
Lizard Log Park – McGregor Coxall
Planning in Landscape Architecture – Award for Excellence
Ku-ring-gai Open Space Acquisition Programme – Ku-ring-gai Council Strategy & Environment Department
Awards
Children’s Play Implementation Plan – City of Ryde with AECOM
Pacific Highway Upgrade: Woolgoolga to Ballina Urban Design, Landscape Character and Visual Impact Assessment – Hassell
Research & Communication in Landscape Architecture – Award for Excellence
Lake Pedder, From Inundation to Restoration – Corkery Consulting
Award
Thinking Outside the Box Key Design Elements for apartments in Ku-ring-gai – Ku-ring-gai Council, Strategy & Environment Department
Princes Wharf Shed No.1 Redevelopment – Spackman Mossop Michaels.
Image: Courtesy MONA
Urban Design in Landscape Architecture Awards
Princes Wharf Shed No.1 Redevelopment – Spackman Mossop Michaels
The Levee, Maitland High Street – McGregor Coxall
Land Management in Landscape Architecture Award
Landscape Regeneration at Glenugie, Upgrade of the Pacific Highway – Spackman Mossop Michaels with SESL Australia
AILA NSW President’s Award: Noel Corkery
Noel Corkery.
Jury citation: Noel Corkery is a Fellow of AILA, was AILA National President 2001 – 2003 and AILA NSW State President 1996 – Noel is also a member of the Australian Green Infrastructure Council and chaired the National Board Building Design Professions (BDP) from 2002 – 2003. Noel has been an active participant and contributor to AILA and has helped shape the profession over the years.
Noel commenced his extensive academic studies in Canberra, completing a Bachelor of Science (Forestry), 1968, at the Australian National University. Further studies in the US gained him a Master of Landscape Architecture in 1978 from Cornell University. Noel also obtained a Master of Business Administration in 1989 from the Australian Graduate School of Management (UNSW), and then a Master of Cross-Disciplinary Art & Design in 2011 from COFA, UNSW.
Noel’s professional consulting experience in landscape architecture and urban design has been throughout Australia and Asia. He has been the Managing Director of Corkery Consulting from 1990; previously Noel was Principal Landscape Architect at URS Australia 1997 – 2005; EDAW Australia Principal, 1992 – 1997; TRACT Consultants Partner, 1988 – 1990 and EBC Consultants Director, 1980 – 1988.
His commitment to landscape architecture and urban design are further demonstrated through his participation in bodies such as ASLA Professional Practice Networks, Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia, IFLA, Landscape Urbanism, Urban Design Network and World Landscape Architecture.
Noel brings to projects the experience gained through the management of numerous large scale environmental and site planning projects throughout his career. His combination of professional qualifications and project experience allow him to understand and manage the individual roles of interdisciplinary team members. Projects have involved comprehensive site suitability analysis, environmental impact assessment, master planning and detailed design and implementation of landscape works for urban development, infrastructure, open space and recreation.
Noel Corkery is a deserving recipient of the 2013 AILA NSW President’s Award.
NSW Minister for Planning & Infrastructures Sydney Greenspace Award
Livvi’s Place Inclusive Playground, Yamble Reserve – City of Ryde in conjunction with Touched by Olivia Foundation with AECOM
Livvi’s Place Inclusive Playground, Yamble Reserve – City of Ryde in conjunction with Touched by Olivia Foundation with AECOM.
Image: Courtesy AECOM
Jury citation: Livvi’s Place Playground at The City of Ryde is another highly successful joint venture partnership involving significant community and industry engagement and ownership, a testament to the strong vision and spirit provided by the key stakeholders. The challenge in this project was to create a landscape design that catered for all children and their carers, including those with physical, sensory, intellectual and spectrum disabilities. The aim was to create a fully inclusive community space where able bodied children would be able to play happily alongside their disabled peers, and where carers were adequately provided for.
Following significant funding from the NSW Government Metropolitan Greenspace program, the design and engagement process, that has proven so fruitful in other jurisdictions, successfully instilled enough enthusiasm and commitment from many other suppliers, and corporate sponsors, that the project’s vision could be realised to the quality that it is today.
Premier’s People’s Choice Award
Livvi’s Place Inclusive Playground, Yamble Reserve – City of Ryde in conjunction with Touched by Olivia Foundation with AECOM
Future Leaders Awards
Graduate Award: Jason Cuffe
Student First Prize: Rehab – Alex Georgouras
Student Second Prize: Laguna Traction – Thomas Cormoreche
Winners will be published the February edition of in Landscape Architecture Australia No/141.
