SPIIRE has received top honours once again for their design work, taking out the UDIA’s Award for Excellence in Landscape Design for their work on Lendlease’s Aurora Precinct 1 in Melbourne.
The projects were judged on landscape design, innovation and uniqueness as well as integrated water cycle management.
SPIIRE director, Michael Lewis said, “It’s a great opportunity for our team to be able to work on a project that has been recognised for its excellence by our industry.”
“We were so excited when we were awarded.
“Aurora was designed as a series of parks and playspaces to evoke a theme of Aurora Australis (southern lights). Precinct 1 features open spaces that capture the character of the existing sites and provide a diversity of play options and includes rest and relaxation points, playspaces with free WiFi and sculptural ‘solar trees’ to act as charging stations for small devices.
“To deliver the project vision, the landscape of Aurora became an innovative collocation of sculpture, play and shelter that explores the sinuous and ever-changing nature of an Aurora, such as the entry park play structure with its characteristically dynamic arch and curtain forms.
“The overlapping and variable form of the Aurora inspired a design that hovers and moves across the playspace, expanding and contracting as it flows. The elevated arches of the form became frames for nets, swing seats, dappled shade and weather roofs. The descending aspects of the form became climbable play elements and seating opportunities.
“From every angle you view or engage with the form it differs from your last perspective, giving it a dynamic temporal, ever-changing character, which reflects the nature of the aurora.
“To create an innovative play space, the main structure is complemented by a play terrain that sits underneath mesh shade. Much like the vision for the structure, the play terrain was designed to act in its entirety as a surface for play activities such as climbing, scaling, bouncing, hopping and sliding.
“We didn’t just want a safety surface layer under your feet, but another complete layer of play. Planets, moons, comets and shooting stars are represented by a diversity of shining play elements that hover, float, bounce, and streak across the playscape.
“The stormwater quality management of the site stems around a series of small scale assets that are integrated in the Edgars Creek corridor, providing pre-treatment function of the urban stormwater prior to entering the receiving waters. The raingardens and their sedimentation ponds have strategically been designed as hard edge constructed assets to emphasise the responsibilities of stormwater management from our urban environment.
“The Entry Park and Village Park 1 are also irrigated by recycled water. This ensures that a high level of landscape amenity can be provided all year without utilising potable water.
“We’re so proud of our team. Thanks to everyone for their hard work on this fantastic project.”
