Subiaco, Bunbury developments take out WA’s top landscape awards

Landscape architecture redevelopments at Subi East’s new-look oval and Bunbury’s Maidens Reserve have been crowned the best in Western Australia.

In a ceremony at Royal Perth Yacht Club on Friday evening, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects’ WA chapter awarded the Maidens Reserve redevelopment the highest achiever in the regions and gave it the top honour overall, the WA Medal.

The Maidens Reserve trail design drew inspiration from all-abilities climbs across the globe. Credit: DBCA

The Institute’s jury chairwoman Amanda Mannolini said they had been captivated by the new lookout trails designed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, in collaboration with the City of Bunbury and an accessibility expert panel.

The trails allow those using devices such as wheelchairs and prams to access a lower lookout and have an easy return to the car park, while also providing a spectacular stair climb.

“This was a challenging project because it involved a 58-metre rise, dealing with it so softly that it did not impact the landscape around it,” Mannolini said.

“Being able to build it despite that steep grade, so that people with access issues could get up there, and doing it in such a simple-looking form, was the clincher. That was why our eyes lit up, it was done so elegantly.”

The jury’s official comments said the project’s subtle interventions and careful restoration enhanced both access and ecological integrity – allowing the landscape to heal while welcoming more people to experience it.

“Weaving built form seamlessly into the natural setting … is a landmark example of regional landscape architecture that offers a bold, memorable, and deeply inclusive experience,” they said.

Maidens Reserve also won an Award of Excellence in Parks and Open Space and one of three Regional Achievement Awards.

Another multi-award winner was the new Oval at Subi East, one of the most significant urban infill projects in WA’s built environment history, designed by UDLA + Oculus.

The project took home an Award of Excellence in Cultural Heritage, as well as two Landscape Architecture Awards for Parks and Open Space and Civic Landscape.

The new Oval at Subi East incorporates an open-air museum and references recent cultural history, as well as the Six Season Bidi trail, with complementary plantings and public art. Credit: Yvonne Doherty

The jury noted the complex, high-profile project had met significant technical and community expectations with clarity and sensitivity, and shown leadership in both extensive use of recycled materials and shifting beyond Indigenous consultation to a co-decision-making process with traditional owners.

“So many West Australians had gone to events or games at Subiaco Oval and felt a connection to the place,” Mannolini said.

“This project has managed telling those stories in a meaningful way, while the new Six Seasons Bidi trail also tells the stories of the area’s traditional owners – so the new site reflects those layers of cultural history, from First Nations through to recent.

“There was also the layer of complexity added by the future urban redevelopment surrounding the site, making sure that landscape will provide amenity for those future residents.”

All winners proceed to the national awards later this year.

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