December 16th

Richard Weller and Gary Marinko are among the final five entries in an international competition to build a tsunami memorial in Thailand.

>> see The Age article

or else try google: "Aussies shortlisted for tsunami memorial" Dec 16th The Age

>> click here for the Jury report on the finalists

>> click here for pics - one and two
& (maybe click on image to enlarge)

Clouston Associates and Johnson Pilton Walker listed as two of the winners for the Western Sydney Ideas competition.

More details soon..

meanwhile check list of winners .. here

Lawrie Smith receives a write-up in the Commonweath's IT'S AN HONOUR booklet

Click here >>

East Darling Harbour, Sydney

Watch this space >> ++ << for the results of the competition in February-March 2006.

WA Students win prizes

The students in the UWA Landscape Architecture program had done it again - and picked up prizes!

these 2nd year students received 4 of the 6 available prizes in an open field

>>>>>>> more

experts in free form uncontrolled water features

Fifth Creek Studio will be temporarily closed and Graeme Hopkins is suspending his duties as President of AILA SA for the near future. This is due to our property being inundated by overland flow of stormwater and a landside from the adjacent property during the heavy rain on Monday night this week. We worked all night to prevent major structural damage and luckily sustained no damage inside the office or residence, thanks to out sandbagging.

However we are now surrounded by a sea of mud and floating fruit trees from the neighbouring orchard, as shown here in our back courtyard. The clean up and repairs will take considerable time as all this needs to be done by hand, due to the terrain and access.

We will emerge from this process as experts in free form uncontrolled water features and in new methods of transplanting mature fruit trees and growing them on paved surfaces!!!!

Click on image <<<<<<

NSW Faculty of the Built Environment/Landscape Architecture Review Night for Session

On behalf of the Students of Landscape Architecture (SOLA) , please find attached an invitation to the Faculty of the Built Environment/Landscape Architecture Review Night for Session 2, 2005.

AILA - ASLA - EDAW

New ASLA President: Dennis Carmichael, FASLA, is a design leader at EDAW. >>>more

The new AILA National President, Mark Fuller FAILA, is a design leader at EDAW Gillespies Australia.

Wollemi Pines Sold

Peter Nowland, a landscape architect for the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, purchased two 2m trees for $4500, to be planted at The Rocks and Darling Harbour.

>>> More

Nuclear power a dangerous distraction

19th October 2005

Nuclear power is too expensive, too dangerous and too slow to be seriously considered as an effective response to the urgent problem of climate change, Australian Conservation Council President Professor Ian Lowe has told the National Press Club in Canberra

>> more

VIVODESIGN made a fiery entrance onto the Landscape Architecture scene with their official launch at the Brisbane’s Powerhouse on Thursday October 13th 2005.

>>>news on VIVODESIGN

2005 Australia Award for Urban Design

award ceremony: Thursday 20 October 2005

Innovation and leadership in Australian urban design will be acknowledged and rewarded tomorrow evening as the 2005 Australia Award for Urban Design and commendations will be presented at a ceremony at Customs House, Circular Quay

Sense of Place

Exploring concepts and expressions of place through different senses and lenses.

Hobart - 6-8 April 2006.

CALL FOR PAPERS:
Abstracts are due 11 November 2005

TAKING THE HEAT OUT OF CITIES:
United nations address ON THE ENVIRONMENT

UNSW: Monday Oct 24th, 6pm

The Asia Pacific Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Surendra Shrestha, will be the keynote speaker at the lecture on sustainable development hosted by UNSW’s Kensington Group.

>> More Information

Ideas Competition

Western Sydney Parklands

Landcom, in collaboration with the Department of Planning, is running an Ideas Competition for the Bungarribee Precinct of the Parklands and the adjoining development areas at Doonside and West Huntingwood.

The competition will help to raise the Parklands' profile and lead to better development.

The best ideas from the competition will be used to assist in the master planning of this section of the Parklands and the future residential and employment land.

The Ideas Competition opens on Sunday 16 October. Entrants will be able to register and download and information pack from that date onwards.

Entries close on Friday 25 November 2005.

>>>>>> more

 

Sustainable
Cities

Sustainable Cities

Sustainable Cities report launched recently by the House of Representatives Environment Committee.

Brisbane landscape architects and urban designers Gamble McKinnon Green (GMG) has issued a timely reminder to local developers to embrace ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles before the region’s water crisis deepens.

>>>>>>> more (pdf)

29 Sept 2005 - News from the USA

New York’s outdoor conceptual art world jumps the shark.
(via Inhabitat)

Getaway, in the city: Even in frenetic, frustrating Los Angeles, there are places where people can slow down and relax. You just have to find them.

Design With Nature

PI Group Interview: Water Conservation
An interview with Norman Harcourt Davis IV, ASLA, and Michael Prevost, ASLA, cochairs of the Water Conservation PI Group

downtown: Streetscape Plan Doomed by Politics and Superficial Solutions

Trees and Parks - links

NSW: healthy Parks Healthy People

WA: Healthy Parks, Healthy People
Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM)

SA: Healthy Parks, Healthy People

Victoria: Healthy Parks, Healthy People

Young Professionals from across Australia come together in a forum like no other seen before.

more >>>>>>>>

September 1, 2005

ASLA's own special report on: Hurricane Katrina

Click here

The Old Country: Australian Landscapes, Plants and People by George Seddon. published by Cambridge University Press will be launched by Kerry Sanderson Chief Executive Officer, Fremantle Ports at the Fremantle Ports Administration Building, 1 Cliff Street, Fremantle (on Victoria Quay)

5.30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19th

Australian Landscape Architects abroad:
Marion Mahony Griffin Exhibit

Block Museum of Art, Chicago will display striking landscape and horticultural renderings by Marion Mahony.

new Book: Marion Mahony Griffin: Drawing the Form of Nature

Events include: A daylong symposium Saturday, Nov. 5 exploring the significance of Mahony Griffin’s work with David Van Zanten, professor of art history, Northwestern University’s Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; Christopher Vernon, senior lecturer, School of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts, The University of Western Australia in Crawley; Paul Kruty, professor of history and preservation, The School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; James Weirick, professor of landscape architecture, The University of New South Wales in Sydney; Alice Friedman, professor of architectural history, Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass.; and Anna Rubbo, associate professor, department of architecture, The University of Sydney. More details on the Nov 5th Seminar

Taylor Cullity Lethlean &
The Sixth International Garden Festival

Grand-Métis, Québec. July 11, 2005

The sixth International Garden Festival opened on June 24, 2005 in the presence of the 22 designers and over 300 members, friends and partners of the Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens.

The twelve gardens by designers from Australia, France, the United States, Québec and Canada will be on view until October 2, 2005.

Featuring Taylor Cullity Lethlean Landscape Architects (Kate Cullity with Ryan Sims) Adelaide: Eucalyptus: Light and Shadow

more details

September 2005

2006 IFLAer Conference Speakers announced

All Key Speakers (international) announced for the May 2006 IFLAer Landscape Architecture Conference

more on the conference

more on the speakers (updated)

2005 IFLA Eastern Region Awards announced

The 2005 IFLA Eastern Region President’s award was presented this year to Tract Consultants for the Cairns Esplanade and Echo Point projects.

more details

Urban Advantage

Urbanism. What is it?

Planners evaluate and define urbanism with diverse criteria: vehicle-miles traveled, density, transit viability, jobs-housing balance, etc. But ultimately urbanism is about life.

It's about the vitality and opportunities possible when people live together in neighborhoods, villages, towns and cities.

Clikck here for more...

News Links:

Call for Papers for the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Conference 2006

hosted jointly by the University of Auckland and the Centre for Research into Professional Practice, Learning & Education, Charles Sturt University. The Conference will be held on 19-20 April 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Auckland.

The Call for Papers can be accessed via the following link. Further
conference information will be posted to this site when available: Ripple

The publishers are keen to receive any news or views you have... see pdf for details

Download PDF Green Places (UK) NEWS

ASLA Announces
the 2005 Professional Awards

Washington, DC, July 11, 2005, The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has announced the recipients of its 2005 Professional Awards.

This marks the inaugural year for the Residential Design Category, co-sponsored by Garden Design Magazine.

The awards will be presented on October 10 at the ASLA Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Click here for details

IFLA awards the Jellicoe Gold Medal
to Peter Walker

The International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), during the 42nd World Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland, awarded Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Gold Medal to Peter Walker. The Medal is awarded under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

ASLA Press release

Link to Peter Walker

Peter Walker on ABC Radio National

Landscape architect’s key role in Olympic victory

The true value of employing landscape architects to lead the planning and design of large-scale projects and urban regeneration schemes.

See press release from UK Landscape Institute

TIME PLACE COLOUR SPACE
‘ Passion for the Land 2’

9-23 July ’05
Presented by Nick & Heather Safstrom
Your and your friends are invited to
our EXHIBITION LAUNCH
Time/Date: Saturday 9th July, 2 – 5pm
Location: 72 Bruce St, Mt Waverley
For RSVP or Enquiries contact
Heather: 03-8802 7927 / 0423 211 335
Exhibition will then be open for viewing and sales
10–23 July, 12.30 – 5 pm daily

Click here for more details

The Mesh Book: Landscape/infrastructure

Raxworthy, J. & Blood, J. (Eds)
This weighty little volume is a collection of essays from the last Edge Conference that was held in 2001. This student run conference brings landscape architecture students, lecturers & practitioners together. Beginning back in 1983 at RMIT, after each conference, as stipulated in the University of New South Wale’s manifesto “The Edge Charter”, a publication documenting the conference is to be produced.

In this volume we are provided with a broad selection of both local & international views on the topic of infrastructure in the landscape.

RMIT, Aust, 2005, 365pp, PB $A44.00 (21/04)

available from Architext

Julian Raxworthy AAILA (Free Range Landscape Architect / Academic) is currently wandering around overseas.

Elizabeth Mossop AAILA
writes for TOPOS on Affordable Landscapes

Topos 50 / 2005

The growing numbers of blighted residential districts all over the world call for cost-effective ideas to upgrade public space.

Link to this article (link may fall out in time)

Topos online

Just add tea and crumpets

At the sight of an English garden — lush, boisterous, romantic — everyone's a Brit. But a cottage garden in Los Angeles? It's not a contradiction in terms.

articles from the LA Times

Bette Midler Honorary ASLA Member

Bette was amongst eight individuals selected by The Board of Trustees of the American Society of Landscape Architects to receive honorary membership.

ASALA Press Release

Designe a SYMBOL... a symbol of memory of those who suffered and were killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp.

A symbol of reconciliation of the taking part in the Seckond World War nations.

details online

Aspect wins CCAA Award

Memorial that pays tribute to emergency services personnel wins the CCAA best urban landscape project.

Client: Australian Government - National Capital Authority
Designer: Aspect Melbourne Pty Ltd

Other landscape architects also won the other awards.

see CCAA web site

Australian Landscape Conference
Camberwell Civic Centre, Melbourne

There will be a total of 11 papers from outstanding overseas speakers including Christopher Bradley-Hole (UK), Penelope Hobhouse (UK), Rick Darke (USA), James Hitchmough (UK), Robert Watson (New Zealand) and Juan Grimm (Chile). Australian speakers include Kate Cullity, Vladimir Sitta, George Seddon and Jim Sinatra.

The conference runs from the 10-11 September, with a further Auckland, New Zealand conference with similar speakers on 3-4 September.

Both conferences feature designer garden tours and in Melbourne there are special events such as the Speakers Dinner and a Reception at Government House. For information visit www.bloomings.com.au or call for a brochure (03) 9427 1592 or fax (03) 9427 9066.

PDF file here

Austrade Tsunami UPDATE 31 May 2005

Since the last update, Austrade has undertaken Tsunami Reconstruction Seminars around Australia with speakers from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, AusAid and Senior Trade Commissioners from Austrade, Jakarta, and New Delhi.

Austrade is continuing to work with AusAid, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other Federal and State agencies to maximize the involvement of Australian business in reconstruction and rehabilitation projects.

The presentations from the Tsunami Reconstruction workshops are available at www.austrade.gov.au

WATER WATER WATER - and not a drop to waste!

AILA WA drafts a response to the WA discussion paper

Managed Aquifer Recharge using Treated Wastewater on the Swan Coastal Plain

Western Australia has reached a critical point in the use and management of water resources (Government of Western Australia 2003a). Since the 1970s there has been a significant reduction in rainfall in the south-west of Western Australia, and this drying trend is expected to continue. At the same time, demand for water is increasing along with population, resulting in a widely recognised water shortage.

Discussion Paper: PDF

AILA WA Draft response (word doc)

Energy Australia National Trust Heritage Awards

Project: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital R.M.O.Q. Courtyard
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital RMOQ Courtyard (Resident Medical Officers Quarters Courtyard) has recently enjoyed a full refurbishment as part of the overall redevelopment of various buildings and the external landscape environment.

The RMO Courtyard recently won best project award in the under 500K category Corporate / Government at the National Trust Heritage Awards sponsored by Energy Australia, and is a delightful space with many interesting features including an original 19th Century Royal Doulton Fountain and was the original Nurses Quadrangle associated with the first RPA Hospital Nurses Quarters overseen personally by Florence Nightingale.

The courtyard became a valuable landscape respite for the resident nurses and was often used for larger gatherings, ceremonies, and garden tea parties.

The project team comprised key staff from Place Planning & Design under the direction of the project Director Darrell McLean. Sub-consultants included Hydroplan for Irrigation Design; Warren Smith & Partners for the Fountain Hydraulics; Thomson Taylor Whitting for Structural & Civil Works; and Arborist Gary Cubbly.

Project architect for the surrounding buildings was Silver Thomas Hanley Daryl Jackson, and the Project Manager was Atkinsons Capital Insight. The hard and soft landscape construction was implemented by Design Landscapes Pty Ltd, and the restoration of the original Royal Doulton Fountain was overseen by the Department of Public Works and the actual restoration work was carried out by Mark Noble of ‘The Statue Shop’ and Cameron Williams.

CSIRO Survey
Poor Design & Documentation Hits Project Costs

A recent survey by CSIRO has shown that a long-term decline in design and documentation quality corresponds to an increase in construction process inefficiency.

Introduction
Few would argue that the quality of design and documentation has a major influence on the overall performance and efficiency of construction projects. Poor design and documentation quality is a major cause of construction process inefficiency – leading directly to delays, rework and variations – and contributes to increases in project time and cost, for both client and contractors alike. Anecdotal evidence suggested that the quality of design and documentation being produced in Australia was declining and that a reduction in project design fee levels over the previous 12–15 years had had a major impact on this decline. As this situation was of major concern to many parties within the construction industry, it was vitally important that issues affecting design and documentation quality be identified and addressed.

At the beginning of 1997, CSIRO Infrastructure Systems Engineering, with major industry support from both contracting and design organisations, commenced an ambitious study into design and documentation quality and the changes that had occurred over the previous 12–15 years. The study was undertaken to investigate not only the causes for the perceived decline in design and documentation quality, but also the effects that poor quality design and documentation has on construction process efficiency.

Should anyone wish to obtain a copy of the reports, both electronic and print versions are available and can be obtained from Paul Tilley, Construction Systems Researcher - CSIRO Infrastructure Systems Engineering
Email: Paul.Tilley@dbce.csiro.au

IFLA/ICOMOS

Ken Taylor FAILA has been confirmed as the Australian AILA member for the IFLA/ICOMOS Committee 2005-2008.

Ken will be going to the ICOMOS conference in Xi'an in October, will attend meeting of Committee there and will report back to AILA.

Ken is also on one of the Scientific C/ees for the conference to referee papers.

Much of the conference theme centres on cultural landscapes, including towns and cities and their settings.

For more info: go to the ICOMOS web site you should be able to pick up site for the conference: ICOMOS 15 th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium, Xi’an, China, October 17-21, 2005.

http://www.icomos.org

Theme of symposium is 'Monuments and sites in their setting - conserving cultural heritage in changing townscapes and landscapes'.

Point Pleasant Park Competition (Canada)

Halifax Regional Municipality will soon invite entries for their international design competition to create a master plan for the regeneration, restoration and renewal of Point Pleasant Park.

The Competition Steering Committee is in the process of finalizing the PPPIDC Competition Brief.

Information, plans, maps, and images are being prepared to bring you the best available resources to help you meet this exciting challenge in park design.

Check this website for the PPPIDC opening in May 2005.

http://www.pointpleasantpark.ca

The Australia Award for Urban Design was created by Prime Minister Paul Keating’s Urban Design Task Force and was first awarded in 1996. The Award was established to recognise recent urban design projects of high quality in Australia, and to encourage cities, towns and emerging settlements of all sizes to strive similarly for improvement.

It acknowledges the critical role of good urban design in the development of our cities and towns. The Award is hosted jointly by the Planning Institute of Australia, the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, with the support of the Urban Design Forum.

The Award is managed by the Planning Institute of Australia and its
Urban Design Chapter. For more detail please click here.

April 14

The art of negotiation

In one of Chicago's most visible parks, a debate rages over artists'
right keep to their public work for private

Click here to see article form The Daily Northwestern

Photos by Paul Costigan

Attention Risk/Assets and Parks Managers:

Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Authority (APVMA) phasing out CCA treatment for timbers to be used in playground equipment, decking, handrails and park furniture.

Click for more. http://www.apvma.gov.au/chemrev/arsenic.shtml

New Parkland opens on Former BP Site

Waverton Peninsula Masterplan

In August 1997 the NSW Premier, Bob Carr, announced the State Government's Vision for the Sydney Harbour Foreshores which included the redevelopment of three ex-industrial sites on the Waverton Peninsula as primarily public open space with a component of working waterfront landuse. With their spectacular views across the harbour and along the Parramatta River, and a dramatic combination of industrial, natural and waterfront landscapes, these sites are unique.

In response to the Premier's statement, a strategic Masterplan was developed by Council in conjunction with CLOUSTON Landscape Architects and Planners, the local community and other key stakeholders. The Masterplan outlines strategies for the future land use and design of three ex-industrial sites on the Waverton Peninsula - the BP, Coal Loader and Caltex sites.

Park Now Open

A new public parkland at the former BP site at Waverton was officially opened on the 12th of March. Located on Waverton Peninsula, the site is the first in a series of waterfront areas in North Sydney to be transformed from industrial depots into public parkland.

Following approval from the Waverton Peninsula Strategic Masterplan by North Sydney Council and the subsequent remediation of the site by BP Australia, mcgregor+partners landscape architects were commissioned to prepare detailed drawings and oversee construction of the new park.

Call for entries
Banskia Environmental Awards 2005 - 12 categories

Banksia Environmental Foundation