UNSW Built Environment alumni win AILA National Award

The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) has announced the winners of the 2018 National Landscape Architecture Awards.

The annual awards program acknowledges how landscape architects are helping Australians tackle the major issues facing people from all walks of life, including an ageing population, climbing obesity and diabetes rates, transport challenges and the increasing importance of positive mental health. 

UNSW Built Environment alumni Anton James, Ingrid Mather and James Delaney, Directors of JMD design, took out the Award of Excellence in the Parks and Open Spaces category for their project – Bungarribee at Doonside (NSW).

Other UNSW Built Environment alumni recognised with the award of Landscape Architecture were:

• Thea Harris, Aspect Studios for Ian Potter Children’s WILDPLAY Garden (NSW) in the category of Play Spaces
• Barbara Schaffer, Government Architect NSW (GANSW) for Greener Places (NSW) in the category of Research, Policy and Communication

Overall, 38 winners were recognised in more than 14 categories at the national event, which celebrated the broad scale of projects designed by landscape architects across Australia’s regional and metropolitan areas. 

AILA National Awards Jury Chair and Lecturer in Landscape Architecture at UNSW Sara Padgett Kjaersgaard said the work of landscape architects is fundamental to our communities, which is reflected through the awards. 

“The awarded projects are sensitive, thoughtful and ambitious responses to repairing and improving our Australian landscapes,” she said.  

“This is of critical importance at a time of increasing urbanisation and climate change.”

The event also coincided with AILA's International Festival of Landscape Architecture: The Expanding Field, which recognised the critical role the profession has in addressing the challenges of future cities.

The Expanding Field Creative Directors, TCL, said the social and environmental challenges we face are large scale and systemic, from climate change to growing wealth inequality and a politically volatile climate worldwide.

“Landscape architects are, now, more than ever, expanding their skill set to help the world deal with these critical issues.”

Earlier in the year, seven UNSW Built Environment alumni were also recognised at the 2018 NSW Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture (AILA) Awards, where alumnus Joshua French was recognised as a fellow of AILA NSW for his outstanding contribution to the development of the landscape architecture profession.

The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Honours) teaches students to design and protect inspiring and resilient landscapes. Find out more about the Landscape Architecture course.