Sydney Park wins 2018 Civic Trust Awards

Turf Design Studio, in collaboration with Environmental Partnership has been awarded both the Civic Trust Award and The Special Award for Sustainability at Europe’s longest running awards program for the built environment, the 59th Civic Trust Awards.

The Civic Trust Awards celebrate exceptional architecture, urban design, public realm and public art projects from around the world.

Presented at the awards ceremony on Friday 9th March at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, UK, the Civic Trust Award recognises projects that make an outstanding contribution to the quality and appearance of the built environment, demonstrating excellence in design, while also being sustainable, accessible and provide a positive civic contribution. Three Special Awards were also given to projects that have demonstrated outstanding credentials in specific areas, including favourite scheme of the year, community impact and engagement, and sustainability.

The Sydney Park Water Re-use Project competed with a strong field of UK-based and international entrants, other winners included the Serpentine Pavilion 2017, UK (Kéré Architecture), Milford-on-Sea Beach Huts and Public Realm Improvements (Snug Architects) and Central European University Phase 1, Budapest (O’Donnell + Tuomey with Teampannon).

“The Sydney Park Water Re-use Project design provides a bold, high-quality and conscientious enhancement of public space.” – Jury citation, Australian Urban Design Awards.

In partnership with the City of Sydney, landscape architects Turf Design Studio and Environmental Partnership led a multidisciplinary team of water engineering, public art, ecology, lighting, and other specialists on this $11 million landmark project.

Sydney Park Water Re-Use Project demonstrates excellence in design through an integrated response that delivers a unique and dynamic city parkland, integrating landfill remediation, recreation, enhanced biodiversity, civil infrastructure, with new urban water re-use systems.

The project:

• Is the City of Sydney’s largest stormwater harvesting and re-use facility
• Harvests 850 million litres of stormwater annually
• Is designed to reduce City of Sydney’s potable water demand by 10 per cent before 2030
• Revitalises 40 hectares of former landfill site into wetlands, playgrounds, wildlife habitat, and recreational areas.

“An inspiring and innovative project that goes way beyond standard sustainability outcomes but also captures the hearts and minds of everyone who visits and reminds them about our most important resource, water.”

“It is truly inspirational to see how Turf Design Studio has transformed an urban stormwater management system (once a lifeless engineered solution) into a life-giving nourishing place. It does its engineering job seamlessly with its perhaps even higher calling of engaging with people to play, get wet, perhaps fall over, but without a doubt – to love it, and return again and again. Superb.” Jury citation, Sustainability Awards 2016.

“Turf Design Studio & Environmental Partnership have transformed the park, literally bringing the wetlands and the story of water treatment to life in the park’s ecosystems and in the community’s imagination.”

Through the chain of wetlands, connected by weirs, bridges, paths and stepping stones, the designers have created delightful places in the park’s landscape, connecting community and nature.” Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney.

Project credits
Landscape Architecture / Lead Consultant: Turf Design Studio & Environmental Partnership
Water & Environment: Alluvium
Public Art: Turpin + Crawford Studio
Ecology: Dragonfly Environmental
Contractor: Design Landscapes
Plant Suppliers: Andreasens Green, Toolijha
Structural Engineer: Partridge & Arup
Lighting and Electrical: Lighting Art and Science
Irrigation: HydroPlan
Soils: SESL Australia
Environmental Management: A.D. Envirotech Australia

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