News

AILDM Awards 2019
23
Oct

SHG Wins Gold

AILDM National Landscape Awards 2019

Australia’s best national landscape designs have been announced for 2019, and Saunders Havill Group (SHG) are proud to be the recipients of five awards for Sekisui House Australia’s, Ecco Ripley development.

In late August, the Australian Institute of Landscape Designers and Managers (AILDM) awarded SHG’s Senior Landscape Architect and Associate Partner, Robert McIlroy and the landscape architecture team, three gold and two national best in category honours. The awards for Ecco Ripley (Environment, Community, Connectivity and Opportunity) – a master planned development located at Ripley in Ipswich – is a tremendous win for the SHG team, Sekisui House Australia and the local community.

Pebbles Park and Faye Carr Park won individual Gold awards in the Commercial Open Space category, with Faye Carr Park also awarded the Best in Category (Commercial Open Space) title. Ecco’s Regional Detention and Bundamba Creek Rehabilitation corridor won both a Gold award and Best in Category for Landscape Management.

Faye Carr Park

Faye Carr Park
Faye Carr Park, Joy Chambers Circuit, Ripley

Faye Carr Park pays homage to the 2017 Indigenous (NAIDOC) Female Elder of the Year, Faye Carr, and the incredible work she has done for the community. Designed to bring people together in a sustainable fashion, the space welcomes a multi-use plaza area for community gatherings, market stalls and food vans for events;  a large play ground for all ages with accessible equipment including triple pods, multi-swings, dual flying foxes, junior activity nodes; and ample green turfed spaces to create a seamless activity area.

The park aims to encourage sporting and user activity for individuals and families through the provision of largescale kickabouts, featuring goal posts, a multi-use gaming court, half-netball court and full outdoor gym, along with wide pathways offering running circuits and park connectivity. There also features a mini learn-to-ride track and the northern embankment ‘snakes and ladders’ play area, where working with topography, the level change was utilised to create exciting batter slides, climbing ropes and a larger snakes and ladder game.

In achieving sustainability outcomes, solar panels and battery back-up cells were incorporated into the amenities building to provide the power requirements for lighting and park barbeques. LED low-use lighting has also been provided throughout the park, along with a real-time app helping keep track of power consumption.

Horticulturally, Faye Carr Park balances both feature plantings and endemic revegetation mixes in a cohesive and subtle manner. Native species were prioritised to ensure lower ongoing maintenance and adaptability to suit the local (and somewhat tough) climate.

The Heart Foundation (Healthy Active by Design) recently endorsed Faye Carr Park for its inclusion as part of a case study for its health, economic, environmental, social and use ‘value’.

Pebbles Park

Pebbles Park, Ripley Road, Ripley

Pebbles Park pays tribute to one of the earliest Ecco Ripley residents and their pet dog, Pebbles. Appropriately, Pebbles Park delivered the first dog park to the Ripley community. At the point of entry from Ripley Road, visitors are greeted by the dog park, complete with dog agility equipment and shelters.

Located adjacent to the dog park is a huge turf kickabout. Incorporated into this space is a unique cricket play space including a mini-pitch and catching fencing complete with stumps, wicket keeper and slips catcher cut-outs to create an exciting and active recreation node. A circular path system creates site connectivity and opportunity for an impromptu running track that links the adjacent basketball court and handball courts to the two bridge connections.

Two play nodes have been provided – one located in the northern tip as a ‘mega swing’ which pivots over the drainage reserve, and the primary node located near the park entry, including a range of equipment, catering for multi-aged play. A shelter, picnic setting, bench seating, water fountain, and hopscotch grid are also aligned with the play area. LED lighting is provided in the primary thoroughfare throughout the park, linking to future stages, and aims to create a larger path and exercise network.

The Heart Foundation (Healthy Active by Design) also recently endorsed Pebbles Park for its inclusion as part of a case study for its health, economic, environmental, social and use ‘value’.

Regional Detention and Bundamba Creek Rehabilitation

Regional Detention and Bundamba Creek Rehabilitation

The Regional Detention and Bundamba Creek Rehabilitation corridors create a large fauna and flora corridor within the Ecco Ripley development. These rehabilitation areas provide over 100,000 additional planted species increasing diversity, koala habitat and feeding trees, and the establishment of endangered melaleuca irbyana communities.

The installation of fauna movement elements including fauna crossings, wildlife movement passages, and koala and glider refuge poles also ensures the ease of fauna movement throughout the corridor.

As part of the rehabilitation and community involvement approach for the works, 50+ trainees were involved in conjunction with government funding. Post the project completion; the majority of trainees had successfully sourced employment in associated fields, further enhancing the project’s value to the community.

The success of the Regional Detention and Bundamba Creek Rehabilitation work is helping re-establish over eight hectares of native vegetation for creek stability and increased fauna and flora value throughout the Bundamba Creek corridor and greater Ripley catchment.

The above awards are a true testament to Sekisui’s ECCO vision, and the dedication shown by the consultant team, site contractors and Ipswich City Council to deliver such fantastic assets to the local community. It’s truly a great project, with a great outcome for all the team, and wider Ripley community!