Greener spine

WARRALILY’s Armstrong Creek and its “transformation of a degraded creek into a thriving ecosystem” have won gold in the 2021 Good Design Awards – among the highest honors for design and innovation in Australia.

The Armstrong Creek Green Spine received the prestigious Good Design Award Gold Accolade in the Architectural Design Category, rewarding Warralily’s outstanding design and innovation.

The Good Design Awards jury said Warralily’s “landscape-led large scale vision has successfully transformed a degraded creek into a thriving ecosystem that is rich in biodiversity as well as creating social, economic and community connections”.

“The creation of new play spaces and incorporation of art and environmental aspects adds to the quality,” the awards jury explained.

“It now plays an important role as the lungs of the fast-developing master planned community within the ever-changing Armstrong Creek Growth Corridor.

“It is the backbone of this community and an incredible asset to have on its doorstep.”

Warralily Urban Design Manager Jeremy Minter said the Armstrong Creek green spine, which included the addition of more than one million indigenous plants to create 22 hectares of new habitat, was an important part of life for residents at Warralily.

“We are incredibly proud to receive this award, along with partners GbLA, SMEC and Neil Craigie and Associates, that recognises our commitment to the local environment and to our community,” Mr Minter said.

“Our early focus on rejuvenating Armstrong Creek laid the foundation for the community’s distinctive sense of place and intimate relationship with its landscape.”

“Its 15km network of shared paths and boardwalks connects the community to nature and to each other, as well as playgrounds, schools, sporting ovals and the Warralily Village community hub.”

“Importantly, as well as recreating a beautiful landscape with high biodiversity values, the creek corridor has delivered stormwater management sustainability to protect downstream internationally recognised Ramsar wetlands.”City of Greater Geelong’s Kardinia Ward councillor Bruce Harwood said the Armstrong Creek Green Spine reflected the clever and creative design principles that the Geelong region was known for through its UNESCO City of Design designation.

“The green spine is a safe place for residents to connect with nature and stay active, and has been well utilised and appreciated particularly during the pandemic,” Cr Harwood said.

The 2021 Good Design Awards attracted a record number of submissions, with 933 design projects evaluated by more than 70 Australian and international jurors, including designers, engineers, architects and thought leaders.

Each entry was evaluated according to a strict set of design evaluation criteria which includes good design, design innovation and design impact.

Projects recognised with an Australian Good Design Award demonstrate excellence in professional design and highlight the impact a design-led approach has on business success and social and environmental outcomes.

The Australian Good Design Awards are the nation’s oldest and most prestigious international awards for design and innovation, dating back to 1958.