Redfern Station Upgrade by DesinInc Sydney has won the Landscape and Urban award at the Sustainability Awards 2024.

The jury said this project honoured a “connection to country within the space” and saluted the “codesign process with the community”.

The team sits down with Architecture & Design to discuss the well-deserved accolade.

Architecture & Design: Why do you think you were honoured for your entry? 

DesinInc Sydney: Urban and landscape design is fundamental to supporting physical, mental and social wellbeing of people – also minimising an urban area’s ecological footprint. Redfern Station promotes public transport by making it accessible to all users. The project integrates green spaces and landscaped shared zones providing shade, comfort and an attractive green urban environment.

Treating and storing water, and using renewable energy sources means the project gives back beyond construction. The project achieved an Excellent Design IS Rating from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council, aligning with NSW’s goals for a low-carbon future by delivering on environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

What did your entry add to the body of knowledge of sustainable design? 

Our entry contributes to the body of knowledge on the importance of urban green spaces for health and wellbeing and designing health-promoting spaces and neighbourhoods. Redfern Station exemplifies this as a project that went beyond just providing better accessibility for commuters, residents, university students and local workers.

It provides new places to meet, adaptively re-uses beloved industrial buildings as new entries, new landscaped shared zones and blends Indigenous, natural, industrial, and contemporary heritage to foster a vibrant inclusive community atmosphere.

Has your entry influenced the way you will design buildings in the future? 

DesignInc actively seeks to care for people and Country through mindfully designing buildings and spaces that are sustainable and make a positive difference to people’s lives.

The key takeaway from this project has been that by seeking to re-use existing buildings, even if they are not heritage listed, has not only made the project sustainable but added a layer of richness in providing a glimpse to our past, preserved the beloved streetscape character and enabled cultural interpretation of the broader area.

This category is sponsored by Supawood.

Image: Redfern Station/ Brett Boardman