Conlon Birrell

" A busland at first glance, much more at the second."

If the concourse is the heart of the University the University Green is the lungs. The park sets a clear focus on creating an identity that is contemporary, productive, active, green, and incorporates nature, art, leisure, recreation and education. It is a highly durable landscape that is flexible enough to accommodate change.

The design is ecologically driven and specifically programmed loosely. It creates a series of parkland experiences based on key Australian landscapes that are suited to the site (grassland, woodlands and forest) while introducing a more ‘traditional’ park character that does not jeopardise the ecology of the site. This is achieved through a series of clearings made naturally from the existing vegetation forming a range of rooms, both in character and in scale. The
clearings enable the park to reflect Canberra’s European settlement and cultural identity and capitalise on its seasonal change through a range of botanic colours within the landscape. The spaces scattered through the parkland offer a wide variety of choices for users from large crowds to quiet personal retreats. We have created a passive park within a rich diversity of wildlife and plant habitats.

Conlon Birrell entered the University of Canberra Campus Ideas Competition in association with fellow Landscape Architects Matt Grunbaum and Ali Gaunt (lightbox3dv - http://lightbox3dv.com.au/).