Two Sunshine Coast landscapes have been lauded by judges at a premier awards ceremony.
The University of the Sunshine Coast Campus Masterplan and the Sunshine Coast Ecological Park Masterplan were recognised with multiple awards at the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Queensland State Awards on Thursday.
The former, by Aurecon and LatStudios with Blaklash, won three awards: Landscape Architecture Awards in the Cultural Heritage and Landscape Planning categories, and a ShadeSmart Award.
The latter, by Hassell, won an Award of Excellence in the Parks and Open Spaces category and a Landscape Architecture Award for Landscape Planning.
Judges had plenty of praise for the university campus plan.
“(It) exhibits foresight, exploring campus upgrades and engaging students in bold sustainability strategies,” they said.
“Thoughtful inclusion of Kabi Kabi community spaces demonstrates genuine partnership.
“Aligning with university goals, it communicates a long-term vision while ensuring operational viability. It aims for a balanced, thriving campus, integrating culture, environment and education.
“Accessible and comprehensive, it offers guidance for implementation and effectively conveys technical complexities to diverse stakeholders.”
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Judges also commented on its ethical design.
“This project provides a strategy to create a more sustainable and healthy campus environment by addressing the lack of shade and shelters, one of the key concerns raised,” they said.
“Best practice shade and UV planning is embedded throughout the plan, with a particular focus on campus links and corridors for increased human wellbeing and sustainability.
“By incorporating a culturally sensitive community engagement process and designing with Country principles, the project demonstrates leadership in ethical and sustainable design that provides strategic direction for future shade and UV planning.”
Judges also commended the ecological park plan.
“(It) demonstrates a commitment to pioneering thought, seeking to transcend conventional norms in parkland design,” they said.
“Through an innovative lens, it places emphasis on the intersection of social benefit with ecological and cultural preservation, thus challenging entrenched paradigms in open space planning.
“As a design-centric initiative, it compels local governing bodies to broaden their perspective beyond traditional park typologies.
“Foreseen as a prospective benchmark for future endeavours in land regeneration and open space planning, this project warrants scholarly attention.
“The jury looks forward to forthcoming documentation, particularly regarding the adaptive responsiveness of infrastructure, fostering a co-habitation relationship between humans and nature.”
The jury honoured 24 winners from a total of 49 entries at the ceremony.
Jury chair Liam Cridland said landscape architects had valuable roles.
“Communities, ecologies, environments, and places of cultural significance are under immense pressure for societal and global change across the planet,” he said.
“Landscape architecture can heal, regenerate, reinvigorate, or re-life our regional landscapes, communities and cultural spaces across a variety of scales.
“Landscape architects can play a major role as shapers, changers and healers of place and Country.”
All winners at the state awards will proceed to the National Landscape Architecture Awards held later this year.
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