2019 AILA National Award of Excellence - Parks and Open Space

Southern Parklands Framework

Jury Citation – State Award:

This project creates an integrated and aspirational vision for the future role of a pivotal green space within the context of a growing and changing Western Sydney. The design draws from the unique characteristics of the Parklands, large and small, to create new infrastructures and interventions that heighten the site’s unique qualities and celebrate its distinct sense of place. Landforms, ecologies and histories have been interpreted to textures and colours. The design boldly envisages the creation of iconic and inspiring places in which to play, socialize and learn about the site’s past and present, while endeavouring to restore the natural qualities of the landscape. In framing and celebrates the existing landscape, the design hints at the pastoral and industrial past of the site while encouraging the visitor to appreciate the vast expanses of the grasslands, open sky and distant views.

The Southern Parklands Framework integrates a huge diversity of uses and interests into the site, recognising sites of Aboriginal significance, while balancing the potential for significant park visitation with provision for conservation and habitat preservation. The project evolves a new typology for mega-scaled parks Western Sydney and makes a major contribution to rethinking the role of green open space in a changing urban context.

Jury Citation – National Award:

Southern Parklands Framework provides a strategic, physical, integrated and aspirational design vision for the future role of a green space in a growing and changing Western Sydney. By mapping and revealing layers in extensive detail, the design team has drawn new
meaning from the unique characteristics of the Western Sydney terrain and used it to create new infrastructures and interventions that heighten the site’s unique qualities and celebrate its distinct sense of place. Places are located both meaningfully and boldly within the
existing landform, respecting and sensitively interpreting ecologies through texture, colour and planting.

The framework integrates a huge diversity of uses and interests, recognizing sites of Aboriginal significance and balancing the potential for significant park visitation with provision for conservation and habitat preservation. Southern Parklands Framework successfully repositions the parklands from a greenbelt barrier to a key structuring device and inclusive open space for the Western Parkland community.

2020 AILA New South Wales Award of Excellence in Health and Education

All Hallows Catholic Primary School

Jury Citation:

The All Hallows Catholic Primary School by TYRRELLSTUDIO is a dynamic and contemporary interpretation of an educational landscape. The community consultation TYRRELLSTUDIO undertook prior to the implementation of the concept design has undoubtedly led to this project’s success and demonstrates clear leadership by the landscape architects. The project is visually exciting, the colour palette and patterned designs are stimulating and the level changes are dealt with in an unobtrusive, clever manner. Expression and play are encouraged yet not at the demise of reflection or quiet time. TYRRELLSTUDIO skilfully and innovatively balances the needs of the students, teachers, parents and wider community in an elegant masterplan. A masterplan which certainly illustrates the power and potential of landscape architecture to transform people and place.’

2020 AILA New South Wales Landscape Architecture Award in Cultural Heritage

Mays Hill Master Plan

Jury Citation:

‘The Mays Hill Master Plan demonstrates a courageous approach to contemporary park making within the visual curtilage of the adjacent World Heritage listed Paramatta Park site. The design proposition is a thoughtful and clearly coherent strategy that utilises the sites constraints to identify and situate new recreational opportunities. The proposed program is intensive and dynamic, however provides allowance for passive and contemplative recreation activities within its heart. Further consideration of a pedestrian bridge over the railway line demonstrates a commitment to fostering the sequence of arrival and the important connection to the heritage setting beyond. The master plan principles have influenced future planning and design processes for the City of Parramatta. This project is an exemplar of the broader value that landscape architectural practice can bring to the community and growing city.’

2020 AILA New South Wales Award of Excellence in Parks and Open Space

Shale Hills Parklands

Jury Citation:

‘Shale Hills Dog Park sets a new benchmark for dog parks within Australia. Set within five hectares of Western Sydney Parklands it sets new standards for pets and humans to play, learn and explore. The sheer scale of the park inspired a bold design with carefully considered plans to maximize opportunities for visitors to appreciate views of the surrounding parklands, provide a sense of arrival and connection to the cultural values of the site. The project reflects Western Sydney Parklands Trust’s vision to create a place that offers diverse experience, celebrates its natural qualities and creates an identity for local communities. Extensive on-site community consultation and collaboration with Western Sydney Parklands Trust and Liverpool Council form the foundation of the design which elevates the humble dog park from a low-budget affair to an iconic piece of landscape architecture. The Shale Hills Dog Park is an essential addition to Western Sydney’s growing population delivering social, environmental and health benefits for people and their pets.’

2020 AILA New South Wales Award of Excellence in Landscape Planning

Sydney Green Grid Spatial Framework and GIS methodology

Jury Citation:

‘The Greater Sydney Green Grid Spatial Framework and GIS Dataset is an innovative methodology and platform formed out of a strong collaboration with a range of government stakeholders, agencies, and specifically, local councils. At the metropolitan scale, its method is a new area for landscape architectural practice in Australia and has enormous potential to influence better decision making at the local and state government level. It synergises complex environmental and social benefits into a legible format and operationalises the state governments ‘Sydney Green Grid’ so it is usable and meaningful to local communities. The project demonstrates clear leadership by landscape architects in managing and prioritising living infrastructure systems in a large metropolis.’

2022 AILA NSW Landscape Architecture Award for Landscape Planning

For Western Sydney Parkland City Landscape-Led Design Guidelines

Jury Citation:

“This is an important piece of work that has set the standard of how the new Parkland City is to be planned. It places the landscape of Western Sydney and its delicate threatened water and ecological systems at the centre of the planning of the city’s streets, parks and spaces.

The role of the Landscape Architect is commended in advancing a landscape design-led document that sets a benchmark for similar projects and will guide the development of the Parkland City into the future. In particular, the importance it places on Country, a process that included extensive involvement of the NSW Indigenous design community is acknowledged.”

2022 AILA National Award of Excellence for Landscape Planning

For Western Sydney Parkland City Landscape-Led Design Guidelines

Jury Citation:

Imagine living in a city where the layout, form and character is encapsulated by the landscape and an understanding of the processes that have created that landscape. More importantly, imagine an urban planning process that would lead to this!
Such a process has been realized in Tyrrell Studio’s proactive approach to making the spatial and temporal qualities of the natural systems central to planning decisions and actions for the Western Parkland City. The jury was impressed by how this work sidestepped yet another “planning report” and strove instead to create champions of various stakeholders for the South Creek catchment. To do this, the studio underscored the deep-time stories of the landscape and turned discussions about the blue/green infrastructure into yarns about cooling breezes and the experience of exploring creek lines.

While the consequences of flooding in our urban environments are still at the forefront of our minds, this work, this process – which avoids sometimes incorrect representations of the problem and solutions – is indeed a breath of clean air.

2023 AILA National Landscape Architecture Award for Small Projects

Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club Courtyard

Jury Citation:

Defined by its coastal setting, surf culture and dune landscape, the Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club Courtyard is a successful multifunctional space for beachgoers. Bold concrete planters harbouring coastal grasses are strategically arranged to protect cafe visitors from buffeting winds. Paving design with infill cells captures a combination of sand and vegetation in an extension of the adjacent dunes. The high-performance design makes the most of its compact site with thoughtful responses to local ecology and biodiversity, and water-sensitive design. The jury recognized the project for its rich use of materials and textures to achieve high-quality finishes. Underpinned by environmental and social strategies, the purposeful work drives a landscape that responds to the nuances of its site and local community.

2023 AILA 2023 NSW Award of Excellence for Small Projects

Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club Courtyard

Jury Citation:

The project demonstrates creativity and innovation in landscape architecture through its response to challenges presented by natural processes associated with Sydney’s coastal dune systems. The design enhances the daily experience of users of this space and capitalizes on shade and character of the existing trees to present an engaging outdoor space at a small scale.

The project demonstrates innovation through experimentation in paving patterns and seating. Bespoke pavers respond to coastal conditions and the plant palette offers habitat for the local ecology. The innovative brass downpipe, bowl and rill system ensure rooftop water collection and reticulation in main planting areas, thus presenting a design outcome that makes the most of existing natural systems.

The project endorses the role of landscape architects as facilitators of ecological and natural processes whilst balancing the needs of social interaction.

2023 AILA NSW Landscape Architecture Award for Civic Landscape

Seven Ways Bondi

Jury Citation:

Seven Ways is one of the busiest intersections in Bondi. The design challenge was to create a vibrant community park out of traffic-dominated fragments of public domain. Sevenways, Bondi fuses coastal ecology and the power of planting with a flash of Bondi glamour in a seamless and sculptural ribbon of wall. The design creates a unique new place for people- rejuvenating local businesses and demonstrating the potential of landscape architecture to connect a community.