September is Biodiversity Month, a time to reflect on how design can advocate for the natural world.
As biodiversity declines globally, the environmental consequences are severe. Hassell is committed to reversing this trend by creating environments that restore local ecology.
The practice’s commitment to designing for nature is evident in its work worldwide.
It can be seen in its projects focused on transforming disused spaces into places where flora and fauna can thrive.
For example, Central Green Forest Park in Beijing, once a contaminated industrial estate, now serves as a natural oasis in the city.
The Sunshine Coast Ecological Park, once 65 hectares of farmland, has been transformed into a refuge for local wildlife and the community.
Hassell also works closely with municipalities and councils to revitalise underutilised urban waterfronts.
In Shenzhen, the practice is transforming parts of the Longgang River as part of an initiative to enhance 1000km of waterways.
In San Francisco, Hassell’s vision for Colma Creek has been developed through community engagement and aims to restore ecology, improve water access and build environmental stewardship.
In Australia, Hassell is delivering positive ecological outcomes for projects in close collaboration with its First Nations partners.
At Sydney Airport, Hassell transformed the international forecourt from a concrete plaza into an immersive landscape that embodies the spirit of Sydney.
In Melbourne, the practice is creating an immersive new biodiverse public landscape of an unprecedented scale and complexity that will help reshape the Melbourne Arts Precinct.
One The Esplanade, an urban building in Perth, features abundant endemic planting and native landscapes.
Some of Hassell’s unrealised projects are its most aspirational when it comes to supporting local ecology.
For example, the Hassell team designed a park with no lawn for Bradfield Central Park in Western Sydney, acknowledging that lawns are known biodiversity deserts. Hassell’s award-winning design for Ngurra: The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Precinct emerged from an emotional, cultural engagement process and captures the drama, beauty and spontaneity of the wild grasslands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country.
Innovative initiatives like the Sydney Showground Planting Trials allow the practice to research, prototype, and test new approaches to creating biodiversity-rich landscapes that thrive.
These efforts underscore Hassell’s commitment to regenerative design, focusing on creating resilient environments that support both people and the planet — a core element of our purpose to create a better future.
