Gosford’s Leagues Club Park has scored a major win at the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) 2022 National Awards, taking out an Excellence Award in the Play spaces category.
The awards celebrated 40 exemplary projects from all around the country of all scales including green infrastructure, public open spaces, play, health, education and tourism spaces, and gardens.
The park received the same accolade at the AILA State Awards earlier this year, with the awards jury saying it was “an exemplary project which demonstrates a strong connection to Country informed through deep engagement with the local community”.
Designed by Turf Design Studio in collaboration with the Darkinjung people, the park tells stories of local aquatic life, pre-European history and early contact.
AILA President Claire Martin said now, more than ever before, Australians understand the need to connect to each other and their environment.
This stems from factors like COVID-19, a growing mental and physical health crisis and the climate and biodiversity emergency, she said.
“People want where they live to improve their quality of life, their physical and mental health, and the health of Australia’s waterways, habitats and wildlife,” Martin said.
“Landscape architects work every day to design the sort of spaces and places that deliver these social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits.”
Martin said the national awards showcase the positive impact of landscape architects on thae nation’s people and country.
“The spaces and places landscape architects design help people to care, play, learn, and work, to exercise or to rest, to find respite or to gather, to celebrate or commemorate,” she said.
“They help to tell the truth about our history and speculate about a more equitable future.
“The range of projects recognised in this year’s awards illustrate how children and adults of diverse cultures and backgrounds connect to landscapes every day across a range of scales – from neighbourhoods to campuses, buildings to infrastructure, suburbs to cities.”
The winners were selected from a pool of state winners across 17 categories and were announced at an event in Brisbane on October 14.
Source:
Media release, Oct 14
Australian Institute of Landscape Architects