Community wins: Hassell’s 2023 National Landscape Awards

Four Hassell projects took out five top honours at this year’s Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) National Landscape Architecture Awards.

Across the seas, Hassell’s West Bund Riverfront Upgrade in Shanghai received the International Award for the transformation of the previous Shanghai Expo 2010 site and surrounding industrial lands into a new valuable open community space. This reclaimed river-edge is an oasis of nature in the high-density city and has become one of Shanghai’s most loved destinations.

“Since it opened in 2021, West Bund has become a landmark segment of one of the world’s most iconic riverfronts. Through international and local collaboration, the project consortium has delivered a critical piece of public space of immense scale and complexity, within a city of more than 26 million people. The project knits together several historic neighbourhoods at various stages of development and urban renewal. It works within the engineering constraints of the bund wall to create new opportunities for social, cultural and recreational engagement. Accommodating vast visitor numbers, West Bund demonstrates the value of high-quality social infrastructure and sets the tone for future bund expansions as the city continues its push to regenerate sites along the Huangpu River.” — AILA Awards Jury

In Western Australia, Karingal Green Health and Aged Care Community in Perth received a Health and Education Landscape Award. Designed around existing mature eucalyptus trees and featuring extensive garden courtyards, each space of the 160-bed aged care home received careful consideration to combine the familiarity of feeling at home with a sense of connection to community and place.

The awards jury commended Hassell’s Karingal Green Health and Aged Care Community project for prioritising community belonging and the comfort of home in a residential aged-care setting.

“This project exemplifies the pivotal role of landscape architects in fostering mental and physical wellbeing through increasing access to landscape and community in health settings.” — AILA Awards Jury

In Victoria, two rail projects shone. Wangaratta Railway Precinct Stage 01 won two awards: Regional Achievement and Civic Landscape.

The jury commended Hassell for their remarkable accomplishment in transforming Wangaratta’s static transportation corridors into a winding, multi-layered homage to the Yorta Yorta/​Victorian High Country landscape.

“By engaging the community and advocating for green spaces, the team has artfully delivered a premium civic amenity that exults in the local heritage and intrinsic sense of place.” — AILA Awards Jury

Melbourne’s North Williamstown Station Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) won the Landscape Architecture award for Infrastructure as an engaging local place that helps to connect people and enhances the local character of the area.

“Its crafted and restrained approach reflects the community’s value of local heritage, as well as the cultural values of the Bunurong… [leading] to the station precinct telling a story of the land [where] sheltered green ​“campgrounds” and gathering places are complemented by inlays and etchings of water journeys and natural resources in the pavement.” — AILA Awards Jury

Congratulations to our clients, collaborators, and each of our project teams involved in these nature and community oriented projects.