Team 2 and Arcadia shortlisted in international Design Our Ryde Competition

17 May 2016 | News

Team 2 and Arcadia’s scheme, The Orchard, has been shortlisted to move to the next stage in the international Design Our Ryde Competition, for their collaborative vision for an iconic gateway to the City of Ryde.

See coverage of this story in The Daily Telegraph, Architecture & Design, The Urban Developer and Architecture AU.

Four teams have been chosen to move to the next stage of the competition, selected from 175 entries. Over 2,600 people voted for the People’s Choice entry, with the majority selecting the Team 2/Arcadia concept.

The Orchard – Ryde Square, celebrates the history of Ryde as a provider of local produce. Located in the heart of the precinct, The Orchard embraces a new public transport hub and offers a series of landscaped public plazas for multiple community uses including the fully accessible community gardens.

Promoting an organic, inclusive and sustainable culture, visitors and locals will be able to move fluidly, high above Devlin Street, through a landscape of trees, gardens, turf and community spaces. The space will complement rather than compete with the Top Ryde Shopping Precinct.

“We recognised that the Team 2 / Arcadia entry needed to connect the people of Ryde with this public space. Collaborating with Arcadia Landscape Architecture allowed us to respond to Ryde Design Competition using our understanding of the Australian urban lifestyle, along with our thorough knowledge of the expectations of Australian authorities,” said Zack Ashby, director of Team 2 Architects.

“We are very proud that our design has resonated with the Australian public and look forward to expanding on our concept in the next stage of the competition.”

Key elements of the Orchard concept include a cooking school, bicycle hub, outdoor performance space, children’s playground, market place, community garden and urban orchard. Smart building facades, canopies and storm water collection will allow the Orchard to provide energy and recycled water to the precinct.

“The strength of a community lies in its ability to bring people together and this is a central theme of our concept with Team 2 for the Design Our Ryde competition,” said Michael Barnett, principal of Arcadia Landscape Architecture.

“The Orchard will provide a stage upon which locals and visitors can play out their daily lives, a place they can come to read a book, grab a coffee, see a show or let their children safely run wild in this urban landscape.”

For more information about the competition, visit http://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/Design-our-Ryde