From the science of wicking beds to projects from Kalgoorlie and Western Sydney, 2024 was a year of climate action, outstanding projects and award winning products. Let’s look back at the 10 most popular Streetchat stories of 2024.
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10. The Piatto Chair receives a Good Design Award
Piatto Chair received a prestigious Good Design Award in the Product Design category for exceptional design and innovation. The Jury praised the Piatto Chair for longevity, sustainability and visual appeal, noting its “ability to withstand outdoor conditions while remaining movable and adaptable, showcasing a thoughtful approach to public seating.”
9. Coronation StrEat: a repurposed carpark bringing the community together through outdoor dining
Hornsby Shire Council’s Coronation StrEat Precinct, designed by Environmental Partnership and Brewer Architects, created a community space where people gather, rest and enjoy food together in Hornsby, NSW.
8. Midlands Saleyard: Perth’s largest retail park with a nod to its rural past
Hames Sharley transformed an old sheep and cattle saleyard into an expansive retail park. The new homemaker site in Midland, Western Australia, boasts 50,000sqm of leafy retail and commercial areas.
7. AILA National Awards celebrates sustainability, leadership and connection to country
Forty-three landscape architecture winners were announced in Melbourneat the National AILA Awards. StreetChat spoke to winners Hassell, Four Landscape Studio and GLAS Landscape Architects about what the award means to them.
6. Trend Watch: Māori Kaupapa, designing for Climate
Three designers explored Kaupapa (way) Māori as a solution to our climate crises. Understanding that all of life is connected and that humans are not superior to the natural world, but a part of it is an indigenous approach to design.
5. The multifunctional bollard and Sydney Metro Stations spectacular installations
September’s Trend Watch was so popular we’ve included both stories…
Writing for TimeOut, Winnie Stubbs says “there’s a case for travelling on the new metro line for the aesthetic satisfaction alone.” Revisit the fabulous artwork of Sydney’s newest Metro Stations.
And we high-fived the overlooked bollard which can be multifunctional when it is done right. The bollard can create connection as temporary seating, be an object for play, an artistic statement and importantly, a gentle ‘nudge’ for drivers.
4. Appian Way Bankstown, a vibrant public domain in Bankstown, Western Sydney
The City of Canterbury-Bankstown commissioned ASPECT Studios to renew the public domain along Appian Way to provide a meeting ground for community and a focus for everyday life.
3. Wicking Beds save water, labour and money
Wicking beds, or self watering systems, are available across our entire planter range. We spoke to Wollongong City Council about their experience with wicking beds over the past five years.
2. Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s revitalised Civic Heart
Aspect Studios revitalised Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s new Civic Centre while celebrating the ancient geological formations and indigenous heritage of this Goldfields region. Plinth-fixed Aria Seats and Benches furnish alfresco and event areas.
1. Western Sydney Symposium tackles climate change
Our recent Western Sydney symposium attracted almost 200 built environment professionals. Six talks and two panel discussions covered diverse topics ranging from Western Sydney’s Urban Heat to innovative materials such as low carbon aluminium.
Successful products are often followed by copycats. Over the past year we have become aware of an increase in reproductions of the Linea range attempting to create a similar aesthetic at a lower price. This can compromise the overall durability and environmental credentials of projects being delivered, affect ongoing maintenance requirements, and in some instances pose a risk of injury to the public. The design of Linea is deceptively simple while delivering exceptional attention to detail. Details matter not only for beauty, but also for providing durability, and safety, that will last decades. Linea strictly uses the highest quality and sustainable materials, has passed rigorous strength tests, and is designed for longevity, with easily replaceable parts. The product range is the result of hundreds of hours of research and development …
Street Furniture Australia’s entire product range and manufacturing operation has received carbon neutral certification through Climate Active™. Achieving carbon neutral certification marks a significant milestone in our operation and the culmination of a four year long process of detailed measurement and analysis. Climate Active™ is the only Australian government-backed carbon neutral certification programme for businesses to measure, reduce, and offsets their carbon emissions. It is one of the most rigorous carbon-neutral programs in the world. An approved Emissions Reduction Strategy (ERS) is central to achieving certification through Climate Active. Street Furniture Australia has elected to use SBTi validated science-based targets to ensure their ERS is meaningful and aligns with the 2015 Paris Agreement – to limit global temperature rises to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. For those emissions that can’t be …
Our Presentation Specialists, Tiffany and Melissa, bring a fun, interactive and informative workshop to your office. Accredited for 2 AILA CPD points, the experience can be adapted for landscape architect studios and Councils. In 30 minutes (plus Q&A) you will explore materials and finishes, touch and feel samples, and bond with your colleagues over delicious treats in the comfort of your office. There will also be a mystery prize for a lucky winner (optional). ‘The presentation content was informative, engaging, interactive and relevant. Genuinely one of the better supplier workshops! It was efficient yet insightful. The interactive nature of it enhanced engagement with the team,’ Sam Westlake, Senior Associate, Hassell, Sydney. ‘Possibly our favourite product presentation to date! Engaging, great content and appreciated the physical samples and prototypes,’ Alexa Ongoco, …
Key themes of this year’s AILA National Awards were connection to country, sustainability, and leadership. Held in Melbourne, 43 winners were selected by the National Awards Jury, consisting of landscape architects and built environment academics from across the country. Street Furniture Australia sponsored the Civic Landscape award. GLAS Landscape Architects collaborated with ASPECT Studios, Lyons, Koning Eizenberg Architecture, NMBW Architecture Studio, Greenaway + Greenshoot and Architects EAT on the award winning Student Precinct at The University of Melbourne. The precinct features a central amphitheatre, entry gateway, lawn, and a new entry space from Grattan Street. Local materials like mudstone and Victorian stone were incorporated into the design.Thorough research revealed the lost Bouverie Creek, bringing it back to the surface. The story of eel migration within the stormwater system was illustrated …
Linea Planters and Frame Planters are keeping plants healthy while reducing maintenance costs, thanks to wicking beds. Wicking beds by WaterUps save up to 80% of water when compared with traditional drip irrigation. According to WaterUps, watering is only necessary every two weeks in summer, decreasing to four weeks in autumn and six weeks in winter. Wollongong City Council first installed wicking beds in their planters in 2019. Before installation the Council’s gardeners were watering their plants two to three times a week. “Now, when it gets warm, we’re probably just doing it once a week, depending on what’s in there and how big the pot is,” says Wollongong Council horticulturist Peter Parsons. There are currently 240 planters across Wollongong CBD maintained by the council, with about 90% watered with …
