Top NSW landscapes celebrated at virtual awards

The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) has announced the winners of the 2020 NSW Landscape Architecture Awards at a virtual ceremony.

The awards acknowledged 33 exemplar projects over 14 categories, celebrating leading projects of all sizes across regional and metropolitan New South Wales.

AILA NSW Awards Jury Chair Sara Padgett Kjaersgaard says landscape architects are fundamental to the health and wellbeing of our communities, which is reflected through the awards.

The awarded projects demonstrate thoughtful and ambitious responses to repairing and improving our Australian landscapes,” Sara says.

“They distinguish how design excellence can enhance local communities and their connection to place. This is of critical importance at a time of increasing urbanisation and climate change.”

The awards reflect the broad scale of projects designed by landscape architects. Projects celebrated include Darling Square and the Sydney Park Bike Track through to the Shale Hills Dog Park and the UNESCO listed Parramatta Park.

The annual awards program celebrates the growing impact of landscape architecture on the places we inhabit.

COVID-19 and the isolation that comes with it has shown us it’s now more important than ever to connect to nature, landscape and to each other.

The awards recognise projects that stand out for their innovative approaches and push the boundaries of design.

The winners were selected from a record number of 63 entries and were announced at a virtual event hosted by comedian and design enthusiast Tim Ross on Wednesday 17 June.

See winners and nominees here: aila.org.au/2020_NSW_Awards