The setting was particularly beautiful in the morning, with abundant birdlife and curious kangaroos watching the group as they made their way through the fringes of the adjoining melaleuca forest.  The morning was also a fantastic opportunity to socialise and network with other local landscape architects and built environment professionals. Many warm thanks to Greg Thomas and to the directors from Gamble McKinnon Green - Mike McKinnon, Ross Gamble and Andrew Green - for organising and sponsoring the event and for sharing their insight and expertise on the Kawana Forest Wetland project.

Community Engagement: Shift NZILA

Wes Mortensen AILA

A mutually beneficial shift in Landscape Architectural Design Education

A QUT Pine Rivers Shire Council Student Partnership Project

Attendance at any conference is always a pleasure and often a rare excuse to escape the pressures of practice. In the case of the recent NZILA conference in Auckland the opportunity to present a paper made the journey ‘across the ditch’ more rewarding. Glenn Thomas, co-author of the paper and I were members of a small contingent of Aussies who made the trek in support of our Kiwi cousins.

What is so special about a student partnership project you might ask? On face value student projects have been an accepted part of Local Government practice and are not that uncommon.
In the case of the QUT Pine Rivers Shire Council Student Partnership Project, there has been a 5 year commitment to achieving success on multiple levels.

Council has provided a platform for achieving the QUT Mantra – “A University for the Real World” by providing real projects, real customers and real challenges. In doing so, there was also a commitment to maintain core program values;

Maintain the Educational challenge – To build the broad platform of professional development, innate use of  systems and processes, balanced with creative thinking and expression.

Meet the Expectations of practices - To make students ‘Work Ready’

Meet Council expectations –Innovative designs to explore solutions for complex problems.

Meet Community expectation – Designers will engage, listen and deliver solutions to problems.

Protect intellectual property rights - Limited release of intellectual property rights is agreed with the students at the outset of each year.

So what is the Real World? Having sampled experience in the private sector, State Government and 3 Local Government environments in the past 21 years, I consider my current role as a migration into another one of the broad spectrum of challenges in the profession of Landscape Architecture.

In Australia, some twenty eight universities are now active participants in the Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance working in partnership with industry.

 

Sponsor Profile

Lisa Johnston State Manager AILA QLD

Chelmstone is a boutique Brisbane based manufacturer of cast stone and high quality decorative precast concrete products which has been quietly changing the face of Australia's most prestigious homes, unit developments, commercial projects and hotels throughout Australia since 1993.

Rob Weller, founder of Chelmstone, worked with cast stone craftsmen in the United Kingdom from the early 1980's and brings to Australia his expertise and extensive knowledge of cast stone and precast concrete products. Rob created the Chelmstone product because he realises the importance of attention to detail and customer satisfaction.

Each piece is individually handmade and therefore a craftsman's care and pride is reflected in every curve, profile and corner. Whether it be Mediterranean, Classical, Tuscan, French, Provincial, colonial or Retro, Chelmstone's flexibility and variety allow an individual to achieve their own unique look which is functional and also practical.

Rob says - "The beauty of Chelmstone is the continuity designers can achieve. Pools and entertainment areas paved in Chelmstone, complemented by garden borders, planter boxes, gate piers and wall capping can all be utilised together to achieve a level of elegance and splendour capturing the unique style of the individual. Customer satisfaction, whoever it may be, is of utmost importance at Chelmstone.

National Council Update

Mark Fuller FAILA

A huge amount is happening at the National level of your institute at the moment. Even a brief snapshot takes up too much room here are some of the highlights….

We have had a great spread of submissions to the national awards, demonstrating some of the best work being undertaken at the moment, some of which will no doubt qualify for future designation under our Significant Landscapes programme. 

You will have seen the new look makeover for Landscape Architecture Australia rolled out by our partners at Architectural Media, as the magazine goes from strength to strength and achieves a higher profile for our profession.

We have established an Environmental Task force, chaired by David Moir, to drive the agenda and debate around the Landscape Charter and build robust links to allied professions and groups, establish regional forums and support each states activity.

The Education committee has been working hard with each of our course leaders around the country to ensure we are working in tandem to develop quality, choice and capacity in our course offerings.

Apart from the headlines there is much happening with BEDP, with membership and IFLA, with sourcing sponsorship partners, and with a careful eye on our budgets as we plan for future events, notably “Shifting Perspectives in Practice”, our next national conference in May 2009 (…in your diary now!).