A new-look civic space in a hinterland town has earned rave reviews at a landscape architects awards presentation.
A revamp of the Nambour Forecourt was recognised with two gongs at the Queensland Landscape Architecture Awards.
Infrastructure upgrades at Sippy Downs and Landsborough were also acknowledged at the presentation.
The Nambour Forecourt Revamp received the Landscape Architecture Award for Small Projects and also the Regional Achievement Award for Sunshine Coast.
Sunshine Coast Division 10 Councillor David Law said he was proud to see council’s Design and Placemaking team members recognised for their efforts in transforming a declining regional civic space into a well-used and loved place.
“The tired space is now a hive of activity after being transformed from a walkway to the library that was hot and unpleasant to one that is cool, green and friendly and encourages people to congregate for events like Nambour Forecourt Live!” he said.
“Introducing bespoke shelters, a pop-up forest of trees surrounded by long tables, increased lawn space and a vibrant mural has created a space where people relax, dine, play, perform and just be.
“The project team were challenged with a small budget and short timeframe to plan, design, and deliver the revamped forecourt for the hinterland community.
“The result is a socially engaging, collaborative and, most importantly, fun area that will hopefully inspire other councils to entrust their landscape architects in similar projects.
“In collaboration with Sunshine Coast artist Alison Mooney, a place-based design was delivered that responds to the social, cultural, environmental and aesthetic aspects of the site.”
The AILA jury citation said the council (Placemaking) landscape architecture team produced a practical, creative and successful outcome.
“The Nambour Forecourt Revamp is recognised as an important outcome to promote landscape architects as lead consultants within local government,” award judges said.
“When temporary activation of the space was needed in a way that would stimulate the imagination of the community, the Sunshine Coast Council landscape architecture team was able to produce a response that was both practical and creative, with an obviously successful outcome.
“Within the constraints of limited budget and compressed timeframes, the result was a socially engaging, collaborative and, most importantly, a fundamentally fun installation that will hopefully inspire other councils to entrust their landscape architects in the pivot role in similar projects.”
Meanwhile, the Sippy Downs Drive – Boulevard and Entryway received the Landscape Architecture Award for Infrastructure after close collaboration with the engineering design transformed the civil project into a bushland boulevard.
Sunshine Coast Division 6 Councillor Christian Dickson said it was great to see how this road project pushed the boundaries to become a gateway into a knowledge precinct.
“We needed to ask: how do we improve road vehicle safety while reclaiming our eroding bushland?” he said.
“From here, our solution was to curate a road into a lush and vibrant boulevard which threads from the major highway and motorway into the forest-fringed Sippy Downs.
“The upgrade focused on social and environmental outcomes by prioritising pedestrians and native vegetation, which has significantly improved the road corridor.
“The jury citation stated that we have shown the benefits of taking on a collaborative approach, engaging all council disciplines, the community and key stakeholders to create a landmark boulevard that speaks to the community.”
Judges said council’s landscape architects were “instrumental” in delivering the Sippy Downs Drive boulevard.
“(They) have facilitated sustainable outcomes relating to planning, environmentally sensitive civil design, and pedestrian and vehicular safety.
“Social and environmental outcomes include prioritising pedestrians and native vegetation, which has significantly improved the outcome of what could have been another standardised piece of road infrastructure.
“Sunshine Coast Council has shown the benefits of taking on a collaborative approach, engaging all council disciplines, the community, and key stakeholders to create a landmark boulevard that speaks to its local context and the community identity.”
Council’s Placemaking team also embarked on a journey to revitalise Landsborough’s main street.
The activation of Cribb Street became a finalist in the Community Contribution category of the Landscape Architecture Awards.
The streetscape project demonstrated the transformative outcomes that can be achieved through creative and authentic collaborations between architects and local communities.
The main street has become a welcoming and loved space that has positively contributed to the sense of community, economic vitality and resilience of the hinterland hub.
The Landscape Architecture Awards program provides a key vehicle to promote the achievements and work of landscape architects in Australia.
The Queensland Chapter was enthusiastic to reveal the official winners of each category in the state, with AILA Queensland president Tessa Leggo expressing that this year’s entries reflected Australia’s tremendous and first-class landscape architectural sector.
“The breadth of the landscape architecture profession is clearly demonstrated in the diversity of the projects up for awards this year,” she said.
“Ranging from unique artist interventions to regional scale planning, landscape architecture is making a positive impact on how we interact with our spaces and places.
“Playgrounds and parks weren’t the only places to draw activity, with city revitalisations and cultural centres ensuring the needs of the community are met in evermore ways.
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“We can and should be proud of how we are delivering private and public landscapes that are responding to our changing environment, addressing challenges faced by urban communities to provide adaptable and liveable cities.
“There is a layer of environmental awareness that is being inbuilt into the landscapes, whether that be an increase in biodiversity or tackling urban heat island effects. The result is a more resilient future for us all.”
In Queensland, 45 nominations were received, with 21 awards allocated across Awards of Excellence, Landscape Architecture Awards and Regional Achievement Awards.
The Nambour Forecourt Revamp and Sippy Downs Gateway will now proceed to the National Landscape Architecture Awards program.
For more information, see Australian Institute of Landscape Architects. To re-watch the awards announcements, visit 2022 QLD Landscape Architecture Awards.
