UDLA's Frank Barreto and the recent UWA School of Design Awards
A big congratulations to UDLA Designer Frank Barreto for taking out a prize at the UWA School of Design Awards, presented at this year’s Winter Collective Exhibition.
Frank took out the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and Miracle Lappset Prizes for Excellence in Design - Level 2 for his ‘Ashfield & The Place of Water Connection’ folio for the LACH2001 ‘Landscape as Infrastructure’ Design Unit coordinated by Rosie Halsmith.
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“Set along the banks of the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River), Ashfield is currently an environment depleted of connection – yet is one with immense natural beauty. The flats are a little-known wonder, yet to locals who frequently use this Boodja, it is a great place for gathering and enjoyment. The proposal of The Place of Water Connection imagines a central corridor to connect the flats and river to Ashfield station and beyond (Perth). The use of activation among its ‘new’ central vein and resurfacing of stormwater drainage in the form of a living stream carries all fauna – including humans – through the suburb from the station to the river and vice versa. The planting scheme encourages connection between the vegetation complexes and entices residents to continue the landscape through to the private realm by using endemic plants suitable for smaller spaces. Species from the flats are also used in strategic locations to allow fauna to travel through the grid.
A cultural wall along the green corridor is used to encourage ‘learning through experience’ and allows for users to familiarise themselves with local culture, flora and fauna. As part of the process of creating green infrastructure, disconnection was obvious, but the aim was to also create new green areas and restoring existing ones. Phases beyond are considered to increase connectivity within the flats, restore and improve existing natural habitats, create a grid for a green mesh within the suburb, as well as foresight design with landscape centric schemes for densifying suburbs along the fringe of the Derbal Yerrigan.”
- Frank Barreto Rojas, 2021.
