Over the weekend, The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) announced the winners of the 2017 Victoria Landscape Architecture Awards.

Many of the awarded projects demonstrated a community-focused approach. Community spaces that offered a high level of community interaction featured heavily in this year’s shortlist and final winners list.

“Sound engagement with communities and across complex stakeholder networks continues to be a foundation of what we do well,” says jury chair, Adam Nitschke.

“Clearly a strength of the profession, engagement brings landscape architecture to the people, raising its profile and relevance, and bringing authenticity and ownership to the design of our public spaces.”

Among the awarded projects was Wootten Road Reserve Interpretation Space. Designed by GLAS Landscape Architects, the reserve is an immersive play and interpretation space. The project is intended as a celebration of the native grassland of the region. The final design engages the visitor in the history and ecology of the site.

Another awarded project was The Journey Interactive Map by Tract Consultants, which was developed to coincide with AILA festivals in Melbourne (2015) and Canberra (2016). The app, map and website developed as part of the project all provide a digital wayfinding guide for self-led tours of significant landscape architectural projects.

The 2017 Victoria Landscape Architecture Awards took place on Friday night at Testing Grounds, Southbank. Projects that received either an Award of Excellence or a Landscape Architecture Award will proceed through to the national awards, to take place this October in Sydney as part of the 2017 International Festival of Landscape Architecture.

Full list of winners from the 2017 Victoria Landscape Architecture Awards:

PARKS AND OPEN SPACE

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Wootten Road Reserve Interpretation Space by GLAS Landscape Architects
Photography by Drew Echberg

PLAY SPACES

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AWARD

Valley Reserve SPARC by Playce
Photography by Jason Pstor

Rosebud Foreshore Playspace by Hassell
Photography by Stephan Tan

INFRASTRUCTURE

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Remembrance Drive Interchange by OCULUS in collaboration with VicRoads and Paul Thompson
Photography by John Gollings

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AWARD

Jock Marshall Nature Reserve Walk by Urban Initiatives
Photography by Drew Echberg

LAND MANAGEMENT

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Armstrong Creek Rejuvenation (with Waralily) by GbLA
Photography by Andrew Lloyd

URBAN DESIGN

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Hawthorn Arts Centre Civic Space by Site Office
Photography by Lisbeth Grosmann

LANDSCAPE PLANNING

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AWARD

University Square Master Plan by City of Melbourne, City Design Studio
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RESEARCH, POLICY AND COMMUNICATION

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Sustainability: Creating Positive Change Through Design by Joshua Zeunert
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COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AWARD

The Journey Interactive Map by Tract Consultants

SMALL PROJECTS

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AWARD

Marnebek Sensory Courtyard by Jeavons Landscape Architects
Photography by Andrew Lloyd

GARDENS

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

NGV Grollo Equiset Garden by OCULUS
Photography by Claire Takacs

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AWARD

Towers Road Residence by TCL
Photography by John Gollings

VICTORIA FUTURE LEADER AWARDS

FUTURE LEADER AWARD GRADUATE

Georgia Chisolm

Nathan Collins

Nicholas Rider

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