UWA Sunken Garden Restoration
Initially built in the 1940’s, the University of Western Australia’s Sunken Garden holds a special place in the community for the role that it plays within the cultural and social life associated with UWA and surrounding suburbs.
Images: State Library of WA, MNG
UDLA’s restoration of the heritage landscape focused on coherency, seamlessness and longevity through sensitive material selection and construction processes. The resulting works have reinstated the staircases and grassed terraces and improved the lighting of this treasured campus pocket.
Early site conditions of the Sunken Gardens prompting the heritage upgrade. Images: UDLA
The restoration objectives included the replacement of damaged stonework, the restabilisation of grassed bleachers, as well as lighting upgrades. The garden’s irrigation system was also upgraded to improve water efficiency and ensure that the garden remains lush and green all year round - qualities it is renowned for.
The restoration process involved extensive research, documentation, and analysis to identify the garden’s original design and materials. UDLA worked closely with landscape contractors to ensure that the restoration work adhered to best-practice conservation principles.
The Sunken Garden restoration project is part of UDLA’s ongoing commitment to contributing to the creation of innovative, sustainable, and culturally significant landscapes that enhance the lives of people and communities.
UDLA’s work on the restoration of the Sunken Garden comes off the back of almost a decade of working with UWA to support the development and curation of the campus, including the UWA Campus Masterplan, Bilya Marlee School of Indigenous Studies and UWA Cultural Heritage Mapping. Together, these projects demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the creation of meaningful spaces that honour the past while understanding the needs of the present.
Details:
Client: University of Western Australia
Aboriginal Country: Whadjuk Noongar Country
Location: Nedlands, Western Australia
Dates: 2021 - 2022
Landscape Architect: UDLA
Collaborators: Fairweather Construction (Builder), Turner and Townsend (Project Manager), BG&E (Engineer)
Photography: Yvonne Doherty, UDLA
