The 2019 AILA Queensland Landscape Architecture Awards were announced at a gala ceremony on 20 June at the Calile Hotel in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane.

The awards program was celebrating its fifth year running the competition, with this year’s entry number reaching 62 over the 13 categories, which included tourism, infrastructure, cultural heritage, play spaces and more.

The competition featured three different types of awards: the Award of Excellence, the Landscape Architecture Award and the Regional Achievement Award and were judged by a state jury comprising Alayna Renata, Simon Mahr, Lauren Newton, Catherine Brouwer, Joshua Hinwood, Jared Thorp and Ingrid Richards.

West Village Common – Landscape Architecture Award

AILA Queensland president David Uhlmann says, “The winning projects highlight the positive impact that carefully planned and well-executed landscape architecture can have on our community, well-being and the environment.”

The awards this year saw three core ideas expressed through the projects nominated – naturally enhanced landscape architecture projects, projects that repurposed underutilised areas of city centres, and projects that highlighted the critical link between the tourism industry and landscape architects.

Many of the projects submitted looked at taking advantage of the natural surrounding landscapes and introducing them into communal spaces.

All Hallows School – Landscape Architecture Award

“We are seeing a trend of both the public and private sector investing in these natural hearts that respect protected areas while adding value to the surrounding community,” says Uhlmann.

Other projects focused on urban areas that had been idle for many years, and turned them into areas of life and potential economic growth areas.

Eden Lane – Award of Excellence

Another idea highlighted the effect spaces and landmarks have on the tourism industry, with community engagement and socialisation being a key factor within the projects. Ulhmann adds, “Landscape architects often bring a unique perspective to tourism sites and, by focusing on place-making, are able to strike a balance between environmental integrity and human use.”

The Ville – Landscape Architecture Award

The winners of the Award of Excellence and Landscape Architecture Award now gain entry for the National AILA Awards, which will be held in Melbourne on 10 October 2019.

The full list of winners is below: