AILA awards Australia’s best landscapes

The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) has recognised the country’s best landscape architecture during its annual Festival of Landscape Architecture.

At a ceremony held in Lutruwita/Tasmania on Tuesday 21 October, AILA’s national jury presented 36 awards to projects spanning 17 categories, celebrating the projects and practitioners “reimagining how we live with landscape and each other”.

Small Projects category Award of Excellence winner Yaluk Langa, designed by Openwork. Photo: Peter Bennetts.

AILA national jury chair Kate Luckraft praised the winning designers for forging vital new collaborations between landscape architects, communities and academics. She also lauded the profession’s commitment to climate-positive design.

“Across the board, projects enriched by First Nations collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking exemplify how landscape architects are shaping resilient, climate-conscious places that reflect a deeper understanding of Country and community,” she said.

Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence, designed by Emergent Studios (Bush Projects) – one of the Regional Achievement award winners. Photo: Peter Bennetts.

The highest honour in each category is the ‘Award of Excellence’, followed by a ‘Landscape Architecture Award’ in the second tier. The ‘Regional Achievement Award’ is granted to projects that have made a significant difference to improving healthy communities and/or built and natural environments of regional Australia, while the ‘Climate Positive Design’ award recognises significant effort toward climate change mitigation and/or adaptation.

Olympic initiative honoured with President’s Award

Green Pathways, Gold Places is an advocacy campaign that provides a framework to ensure the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games deliver a legacy of connected, inclusive and high-quality public realm outcomes for communities across Queensland.

An initiative of AILA, the Australian Institute of Architects, the Planning Institute of Australia, and the Design Institute of Australia, Green Pathways, Gold Places was applauded as a worthy winner of the 2025 AILA President’s Award.

The campaign calls for the creation of a 2032 Design Coordination Unit within the Office of the Queensland Government Architect; an integrated green grid; an Olympic forest; and precinct-based design approaches. The Jury described Green Pathways, Gold Places as “uniting industry and Government in a shared vision”.

NSW research and resilience project takes two gongs

The Living Lab Northern Rivers (LLNR) project won an Award of Excellence in the Community Contribution category and also took home a Regional Achievement Award.

The Living Lab Northern Rivers (LLNR) project. Photo: Elise Derwin.

Designed by University of Technology Sydney and Living Lab Northern Rivers, LLNR aims to create sustainable and resilient opportunities for the region via a permanent shopfront and the creation of reports, exhibitions, design studios and workshops.

Seawall saviour: winning design aligns nature, culture and community

Another of the evening’s dual award winners was the Wagonga Inlet Living Foreshore by REALMstudios. This New South Wales project was the recipient of both the Award of Excellence in the Climate-Positive Design category and the Land Management Award of Excellence.

The Wagonga Inlet Living Shoreline. Photo: Tideline Productions.

An initiative of the Eurobodalla Shire Council in Narooma, the project integrates multiple restoration strategies, including living shorelines, bank stabilisation, saltmarsh rehabilitation and oyster reef restoration. The Jury described the project as an outstanding example of coastal protection in harmony with nature, culture and community.

“The design is to be commended for leading the replacement of a failing seawall with innovative nature-based solutions that restored over 3000 square metres of saltmarsh, brought back rare oyster reefs, and created vital habitats for marine and birdlife.”

The collaborative effort involved Traditional Custodians, scientists, agencies and volunteers.

Victoria dominates Gardens category

Two Victorian designs were declared the nation’s best gardens. Green Our Roof by Hassell Studio and Hedge House by Emergent Studios (Bush Projects) each received a Landscape Architecture Award, with no Award of Excellence offered in this category this year.

View all the 2025 AILA national award winners on the AILA website.