Albury Public School Greenspace Project

2022 AILA NSW Landscape Architecture Award for Community Contribution

“This simple transformative design, won through a thoughtful and empowering process of community engagement, leverages a limited budget while contributing to the school’s outdoor learning environment. The consideration and sensitivity by the landscape architects beautifully balances pragmatism with aspiration, while also demonstrating leadership in pursuing de-paving and prioritising biophilic aspects of design over more easily maintained play equipment. The project is an authentic commitment to building trust and relationship with the community. The process is replicable to other school communities and is to be commended for its positive impact.” - Jury citation

Albury Public School's Greenspace project aimed to reduce the impact of stormwater on Albury’s urban drainage system by allowing increased water infiltration to the soil, consistent with WSUD principles, as well as create important rest, play, learning and performance space to be used by both students and flexibly by the wider community. The project sought to ‘reclaim the asphalt’, transforming an under-used space in the centre of the school into high quality grassed central green. Impervious asphalt replaced with grass allowing overland flows to be captured, filtered and returned to the water table. This, in turn, helps reduce the volume of stormwater conveyed to the pipe system and consequent localised flooding within the school.

Proposed trees, planting areas and terraced seating creates enclosure and control circulation, providing places to spectate, gather and learn in small groups. Lawn, plants and trees help address the heat island effect, provide refuge from UV radiation and sequester carbon and create a cooler, more comfortable outdoor environment.