Troy Creighton from Stormtech presents the Landscape Design award to Cassandra Fenaughty and Sophie Hitchcock from Blackburne Jackson Design.
The vision was to help create a sustainable and educational future for students, by implementing a diverse range of ecologically sustainable developments at Bremer State High School.
The judges say Bremer State High School will provide students and staff with a great experience of sustainability. They comment: “It is a practical expression of biodiversity, and food productivity. It is exciting to look at, and full of visual and textural interest as one moves through. It is also wonderful to see a public school at the leading edge of sustainable practice.”
The landscape design worked on bulking vegetation in strategic locations around the buildings to aid in microclimate control on the site. The plant selections were almost 100 per cent native, with many of the selections being endemic to the area, thus drought tolerant for Ipswich’s hot summers, and frost resistant for the cold winters.
Canopy trees and shade structures were also included in the design to ensure shading of external spaces for the students. Cassandra Fenaughty, principal of Blackburne Jackson Design, says she was thrilled to be awarded the prize in a category that included Landcom, one of the leading planners and developers of sustainable communities in NSW. Fenaughty says there are many talented designers in Australia in small and medium companies implementing innovative and quality design.
“We want to use this award as an opportunity to show the community and developers that it isn’t just the large international firms that develop award-winning design and deliver quality outcomes.”
She adds: “It is a tremendous boost for the business, and proves that while based on the Sunshine Coast, the company can successfully compete against national and international firms.”
