We offer a huge thank you to all our clients and project partners for a successful 2023. We hope you enjoy the festive season, take a well deserved rest after this eventful year and look forward to seeing you in 2024!

We will be taking a break over the holiday season, and our studios will close Thursday 21st December and reopen in the New Year on Tuesday 2nd January.

Industry Awards

We've had an amazing year with our projects being awarded 4 industry awards from the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and the Planning Institute of Australia. A massive thanks to our amazing partner consultants and valued clients for their collaboration to make these award winning projects!

• 2023 AILA Queensland State President's Award: 2022 AILA Festival Creative Directorate (Awarded to Blaklash, LatStudios, & Claudia Taborda with Tristian Schultz)
• 2023 AILA Queensland Landscape Architecture Award for Urban Design: Beenleigh Town Centre Streetscape (Awarded to LatStudios & Logan City Council)
• 2023 PIA Queensland Commendation for Great Place: Beenleigh Streetscape Improvement and Shade Solution project (Awarded to LatStudios & Logan City Council)
• 2023 PIA Queensland Award of Excellence for Great Place: Hanlon Park / Bur'nda (for our work on the Norman Creek 2026 Master Plan, pre-cursor to the Hanlon Park / Bur'nda project) (Awarded to Brisbane City Council in collaboration with AECOM, Gaskell Planning, Bligh Tanner, Deicke Richards, LatStudios, E2DesignLab, CPR Group, Tract and proudly constructed by Epoca Constructions Pty Ltd)

Our growing and talented team

This year has brought growth and change to LatStudios, including new staff, promotions and a new director. The following staff were awarded promotions and professional registrations in recognition of their contributions to LatStudios and their respective professions:

• Wendy Davies was awarded a Fellowship from the Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture in December, in recognition of her contribution to the profession.
• Annie Yang graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Master of Urban Planning
• Nick Purdy graduated from Griffith University with a Graduate Certificate in Climate Change Adaptation
• Wendy Davies was appointed to the LatStudios Board in July
• Georgia England achieved her Landscape Architect Registration from AILA in December
• Sasha Paterson was promoted to Senior Landscape Architect in December
• Kate Gad and Lauren Politylo were promoted to Senior Architect in October
• Lauren Politylo achieved her Architect Registration from BOAQ in July

We've welcomed many new faces to our studios this year:

• Kim Delbridge, Associate - Urban Designer
• Tom Roberts, Associate - Registered Landscape Architect
• Sebastian Cocks, Designer
• Caitlyn Saltmarsh, Associate - BIM Manger & Landscape Architect
• José Gutiérrez, Landscape Architect

Pictured - First Row: Wendy Davies, Georgia England, Lauren Politylo. Second Row: Kim Delbridge, Tom Roberts, Sebastian Cocks, Caitlyn Saltmarsh. Third Row: José Gutiérrez, Annie Yang, Nick Purdy, Lauren Politylo. Fourth Row: Wendy Davies, Sasha Paterson, Georgia England, Kate Gad.

Supporting the design community

Our studio is founded on 4 key values, a commitment to quality, collaboration, creative initiative and sharing of ideas. This commitment extends beyond our studio practice into our contribution to our profession's development & image within the wider community.

Here are just some of the events, talks, lectures, organisations and tours that we've been involved in throughout 2023:

• Director Nathalie Ward contributed to AILA, AIA, DIA and PIA's joint advocacy ‘Green Pathway Gold Places’ to advance Brisbane 2032 legacy dialogue with Ministers and senior leaders.
• Director Damian Thompson was part of the Committee for Brisbane “Roll, stroll, ride & glide: How to make Brisbane 2032 the most accessible Games yet” panel in April. This discussion panel was covered by multiple media outlets online and in nightly bulletins in the days following.
• Director Amanda Roberts was a member of the 2023 AILA Victoria & Tasmania Awards Jury
• Director Damian Thompson presented his talk "Ditch the Ego: we're all in this together" at the ACT Forum '23 in Bangkok back in April.
• Associate Director Jessica Stewart published an article in the August issue of Landscape Australia "Elevating the minor player" exploring the world of small plants and the rewards they yield.
• Director Nathalie Ward co-led an AILA tour in August of our award winning Beenleigh Town Centre Streetscape project.
• Director Amanda Roberts was appointed to the Urban Design Forum Committee for 2023/24 and has continued her role on the Office for Design & Architecture SA Design Review Panel, NSW Design Review Panel and the Office of the Victorian Architect Advisory Panel.
• Director Nathalie Ward was invited to continue her role on the Queensland Urban Design and Places Panel (QUDaPP) and Brisbane City Council Independent Design Advisory Panel.
• Director Damian Thompson has continued his role on the Brisbane City Council Independent Design Advisory Panel.
• Associates Georgina Pratten and Stephen Orr presented their talk on "What Green & Blue by '32 means from an environmental perspective" at the Green and Blue by '32 - Scaling efforts in SEQ to restore our catchments and rivers, in time for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics event in October.
• LatStudios was featured in a case study for how businesses can take climate action to reduce greenhouse emissions by the Department of Environment and Science (DES), Queensland Government. This video features Directors, Wendy Davies and Damian Thompson, and Graphic Designer, Zara Monteith.
• Part of the Brisbane Studio headed out to Kedron Brook to participate in Clean Up Australia Day in February.

2023 Key Projects

The Social Quarter at Chadstone opened to an overwhelmingly positive response. A focus on a lush, communal landscape to gather, relax and rest.

Ngaro Track upgrade in the Whitsundays has been announced and is currently under construction.

The Alfred Street Pedestrian and Cyclist Bridge over the Parramatta River was officially opened last month.

We are privileged and excited to be working on developing a sustainable master plan for the Banksia Gardens community.

City of Frankston 'Footpath Trading & Parklet Policy Guidelines' were endorsed by Council in June.

Dulacca Wind Farm is now operational and feeding power into the grid! The 180MW wind farm located in the Western Downs has 43 turbines standing at 230m in height. We completed the LVIA as subconsultant to AECOM for RES.

Northland's new Entertainment and Leisure Precinct in Melbourne's north opened after a contemporary, community-centric makeover with family-friendly spaces, children’s play zone, lounge and dining areas, urban forest retreat, new façade and landscaping upgrades.

Breakfast Creek Green Bridge: the project hit a major milestone last month with the arch being installed with the help of the tides in Breakfast Creek itself.

Waterfront Brisbane has started ground works after completing the demolition where 97% of materials were recycled or repurposed.

We offer a huge thank you to all our clients and project partners for a successful 2023. We hope you enjoy the festive season, take a well deserved rest after this eventful year and look forward to seeing you in 2024!