Public spaces have the ability to completely alter the perception of their immediate landscape. There’s many developments and projects in the offing across the country that will prove the catalyst for built environment change within their region.

While designs for these developments should be salient, intriguing and inspiring, there are also some non-negotiables. These include accessibility and comfortability, while ultimately serving the needs of the community. Another non-negotiable that should also be required is to design sustainably, to set a benchmark and to influence other buildings everywhere, irrespective of whether they will be utilised for public or private use.

The Landscape & Urban category is a new category at the Sustainability Awards, created through the separation of Landscape & Urban and Public Building. This effectively opens the category up for parks and public spaces and amenities, with the requirement that are primarily utilised by the public. Each project must adhere and promote the concepts of sustainability, renewability and regenerative design.

Landscape & Urban projects will demonstrate sustainable functionality and performance while servicing the needs of its inhabitants, and will exhibit both a high level of research as well as a high degree of originality. Designs must be innovative, while also demonstrating a new direction in sustainability for our public structures, and by extension, our future cities.

The key considerations the Jury will look for include: immediate functionality and ongoing performance, integrated sustainability aspects, long-term thinking, relevance to context, high levels of research, serviceability and public amenity.

Understanding the value of innovation and sustainability, Holcim is the inaugural category partner of Landscape & Urban. At the coalface of construction industry change, Holcim was the creator of ECOPact, the reigning Best of the Best Champion at the Sustainability Awards. The company aims to lead the way in creating products that generate fewer carbon emissions, to lower the construction industry’s emissions as we look to reduce emissions by significant margins in the coming years.

The first ever Winner of the Urban & Landscape category will be revealed at the Sustainability Awards Gala in November later this year. To put yourself in the frame and to be there on the night at our first in-person event in three years, we ask that you submit your entries here.

Image: Moore Park

Jarrod Reedie

reward-designing-sustainable-parks-public-spaces-1732088379.png

Let’s connect!