2019 National Landscape Architecture award winners

The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) has announced the winners of the 2019 National Landscape Architecture Awards.

AILA has recognised 32 winners across 14 categories, including 13 Awards of Excellence, highlighting landscape architects that deliver above and beyond the sole purpose of the project.

The awards evening also commended outstanding individual contributions, to the profession and to AILA, with two President’s Awards.

This year’s Landscape Architecture Awards kicked off the 2019 International Landscape Architecture Festival, which will run from 10 – 13 October at Federation Square, Melbourne.

AILA CEO Tim Arnold said this year’s awards demonstrated the broad and innovative thinking of Australia’s best landscape architects to deliver projects that bring value to the lives of all who pass through these spaces.

“The modern world presents numerous challenges for landscape architects of today, but we are consistently seeing projects respond to common issues to create valuable contributions to our regions and cities,” Mr Arnold said.

“The high calibre of projects entered highlights the beneficial role landscape architecture plays in the way we live, work and play.

“The jury was particularly impressed with the entrants’ commitment to delivering projects that promote sustainability through green infrastructure, as well as the focus on Traditional Owners being central to the design ethos of many projects.”

Mr Arnold said he was pleased to see four projects awarded under the Civic Landscape category, representing the most awards presented under a single category.

“The future design and management of Civic Space is a very high priority for AILA and will be the focal point of this year’s International Landscape Architecture Festival, The Square and The Park.”

“Yagan Square is a shining example of a Civic project that creates a simulating new epicentre for Perth, whilst weaving together a captivating story of Western Australia’s history and respectfully telling the stories of the Whadjuk Noongar people.”’

The collaborative effort of ASPECT Studios, Lyons and IPH to deliver the Yagan Square saw it take out an Award of Excellence in the Tourism category, as well as a Landscape Architecture Award for Civic Landscape.

“This project, and the range of diverse projects awarded this evening, set an inspiring benchmark for landscape architecture and gives the industry inspiration to think bigger and broader into the future.”

AILA President Shaun Walsh presented the President’s Awards to the Queensland Guidance Note for Landscape and Visual Assessment and to AILA NSW Landscape Heritage Conservation Listing Project.

Co-authors of the guidance note, Wendy Davies, Suzie Rawlinson, Alayna Renata, Chris Madigan, Ata Tara and Alan Chenoweth, were highly commended for providing a practical framework for the industry to ensure work is completed to a consistently high standard.

The specialist heritage team, including Christine Hay, Colleen Morris and James Quoyle, have initiated the Landscape Heritage Conservation Listing Project which is highly replicable and serves as a model for 21st Century notions of heritage and cultural landscape.

Each award entrant has won an AILA state award in their respective state and category. The full list of AILA National Awards entrants can be found here.