Jewell Station
GLAS Landscape Architects was engaged to provide landscape design expertise for the Warrnambool Learning and Library Centre in 2019, working as a sub-consultant to Kosloff Architecture. The scope of the project focuses on the external spaces surrounding the hub, with a design aimed at integrating the new facilities into the existing TAFE campus and connecting them to the surrounding town, all while reflecting the local coastal environment and historical conAt the heart of the landscape concept is a desire to create spaces that not only function well but also connect people to nature and each other. The design takes cues from the coastal landscape, with its sand dunes, rock outcrops, and indigenous plant life, to inform everything from the material choices to the arrangement of planting and seating. The iconic Norfolk Island Pines that frame the entrance stand as sentinels, welcoming visitors into a civic plaza where the boundary between hard surfaces and soft greenery is intentionally blurred, encouraging exploration and casual interaction.
GLAS landscape architect’s design brings together the movement of the people, trains and bikes to create an active and safe place. The site is a long corridor for bikes and pedestrians which widens out around the station entry. GLAS’ design maximises the space for movement, subtly separating the different flows to make them legible and safer. The design provides comfortable stopping spaces for social interaction within softer landscaped edges. The increased residential density coupled with the activation of the public realm now supports a café and local barber adding to the vibrancy of the precinct.
Jewell Station eastern forecourt shares space with the popular north-south connecting Upfield Bike path, alongside the train line. The trains and bikes create a highly accessible but contested space. At the commencement of the design, GLAS recorded pedestrian and cycle numbers and found activity peaks between 8 and 9am with over 600 individual movements in four different directions. During the design GLAS worked closely with ARUP transport planners and Access consultants to combine transport planning principles, accessibility and good urban design.
Traditional Custodians
Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung
Location
Brunswick, VIC
Scale
3,000 sqm
Year
2021
Client
Victrack
Team
BKK Architects
MA Architects
ARUP
Neometro
IrwinConsult
Galbraith Consultants
Awards
2023 AILA Victoria Landscape Architecture Award, Urban Design
Planting
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For this project, we have planted more than 15 medium-sized trees, 900 kg of CO2e can be absorbed by 1 cubic meter of tree over its lifetime.
Soil
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Our design includes approximately 550m² of soft landscaped areas, increasing the deep soil provision on the site by 14% compared to the existing conditions.
Carbon
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This equals to sequestering carbon emission driving from Melbourne to Sydney 11 times a year.
Social
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The design also consists of 127m2 of social lawn space that features a sculpture.
