Summit Community
Bridgeman Downs | Brisbane Queensland | Australia
A ‘good’ or ‘bad’ landscape has a significant ripple effect throughout any community.
A well-planned residential community should promote environmentally friendly living.
It should be a functional, clean, healthy, and safe environment that meets residents’ needs.
The landscape is an essential component of any community.
The landscape provides physical and mental benefits to residents within a community. The community suffers when the landscape is poor.
If the landscape is beautiful, the community benefits in a variety of ways, including social and economic benefits.
It makes sense to ensure that the landscape is not simply “tacked on” at the end of any project, but is instead considered during the early stages of development.
designed for people
landscape defines a community
The amenity, character, and urban form are determined by attention to the smallest details, all while ensuring we protect our environment for future generations.
People’s needs must be considered when designing for them. This includes the provision of health and well-being facilities.
Open air spaces, pocket parks, and walking paths all contribute to creating a healthy environment.
The development of a ‘sense of place’ implies that the physical characteristics of a location influence how we feel about it. The elements included in a design determine a place’s feeling, and we all react differently based on our own perspectives and experiences.
This development encourages active, healthy living, a sense of belonging, a sense of place, and a sense of self in the local context.
Landscape design elements for this project included:
- footpaths for walking and cycling
- dry creek bed rockeries and swales
- retention of significant trees
- stormwater filtration through water sensitive urban design
- rain gardens to the streetscape
- indigenous species and plant selection as compensatory planting to assist in strengthening the existing environment
- protected tree easements
- low maintenance entry retaining and signage walls.
designed for the environment
protection and enhancement of the environment is a priority
Development must consider the environment including at the minimum water, fauna and flora.
The landscape was an important factor in achieving approval for this project and included a range of ecological initiatives. A major component was the consideration of overland flows and capture and disbursement of stormwater across the site.
The inclusion of rain gardens to the streetscape enables the capture and filtration of stormwater prior to filtering to the stormwater system.
This type of system supports and promotes healthy ecosystems, lifestyles and livelihoods through smart management of water.
In addition to water considerations, retention and protection of significant vegetation was also a requirement. The character of the area is defined by significant Hoop pine and Eucalypt trees and retention and protection of numerous trees across the site ensured this character was retained.
landscape character
form, colour, texture, shape, space
Developing a landscape character considers many physical elements. In combination with other infrastructure elements as well as Local Authority requirements, building a character that is attractive while enhancing amenity requires consideration of form, colour, texture, shape, space – negative and positive as well as dominance and emphasis.
The front acoustic fence fronts a busy road. The design needed to address acoustic requirements, however the provision of a standard acoustic barrier at such a prominent position of the site warranted further consideration and custom design.
In combination with signage, expressed feature posts, concrete sleeper retaining walls and vegetation, the creation of the entry to the site needed to look smart but also achieve satisfactory acoustic requirements.
The linear nature and character was derived from a desire to keep it simple and cost effective using standard materials and finishes. Choosing a quality fence builder that paid attention to detail also ensured the end result was appropriate to the vision for the entry.
