Three standout Sunshine Coast landscape designs have been celebrated with state awards.
The Caloundra Community and Creative Hub, Wallumburn at Lake Cooroibah and The Green at Matthew Flinders Anglican College were recognised at Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Queensland Awards in Brisbane.
The jury honoured outstanding designs across a broad range of categories spanning civic, infrastructure, health and education landscapes, through to gardens and play spaces.
The Caloundra Community and Creative Hub, by Jacobs and Sunshine Coast Council, was awarded the coveted People’s Choice Award.
The project overview detailed the plans.
“The CCH envisions a vibrant new community precinct to rejuvenate the town’s retail core and establish a new cultural hub,” it stated.
“This people-first precinct is centred on a reimagined green town square – a place for cultural expression and events, connecting The Events Centre, new district library, Caloundra Regional Gallery and Bulcock Beach.”
Wallumburn at Lake Cooroibah, designed by Coco-Dash Landscape Architecture, was the only garden to be awarded a Landscape Architecture Award.
The jury stated that garden blurs the boundaries between bush and native garden.
“Responding to climate, landscape and seasonal cycles, the garden fosters biodiversity, food production, and resilience,” they said. “It offers a compelling model for sustainable rural living – merging beauty, functionality and environmental stewardship in a way that is both grounded and inspiring.”
The Green at Matthew Flinders Anglican College, designed by Tract, took home the Landscape Architecture Award in the category of Health and Education Landscape.
The jury applauded the project.
“The Green amplifies the value of space between buildings to fully leverage its potential to contribute to the academic, creative and social life of Matthew Flinders Anglican College,” they said.
“The project introduces a highly functional and flexible sequence of connected outdoor spaces to support social activity and learning. The result effectively integrates established and new parts of the school campus.”
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AILA Queensland jury chair David Hatherly praised the calibre of the entrants’ work and the growing impact of the landscape architecture profession.
“This year’s entries reflect a discipline leading with clarity, creativity and passion,” he said.
“We saw a strong commitment to designing with climate, Country and community- advancing not only the quality of our public spaces but also their meaning, equity and resilience.”
He said that landscape architects were increasingly at the forefront of shaping Queensland’s future.
“Landscape architecture is playing a critical role in connecting policy, infrastructure and biodiversity with how people connect with and experience their everyday environments,” he said..
“The profession’s leadership is helping guide our cities, towns and regions towards more inclusive, sustainable futures.”
Award winners will be in the running for National Landscape Architecture Awards, to be announced at Hobart in October.
