Both projects engaged with First Nations Knowledge and stakeholders in the concept design process.

In Newcastle, the University of Newcastle’s City Campus Student Accommodation, Arcadia has designed the outdoor communal spaces and ground-floor retail areas for the nine-storey building. The new building will accommodate up to 450 students, with high-quality, accessible housing in a vibrant location right in the heart of the Honeysuckle precinct. The open space is designed to not only support the student community but also to while also strengthen connections between the University and the wider community.

Local Indigenous stakeholders were consulted to ensure the design provides a culturally safe space for future students and the community. The landscape design prioritises the representation of water, acknowledging the deep cultural connection it holds for the Awabakal and Worimi peoples, while also creating opportunities for students to connect to Country.

In Lake Macquarie, development approval has been given to Trinity Point‘s masterplanned community, Australia’s largest waterfront development project.

Set on 23 hectares of waterfront land on Lake Macquarie, the landscape will complement the architectural design of the apartment buildings, creating a destination with waterfront activities, high-end restaurants, a luxury five-star hotel and vibrant retail and dining precinct. Walking on Country alongside local Elders, Arcadia participated in a Connection with Country workshop to explore how their stories of land and water could be interpreted through landscape design to celebrate Awabakal Country.

The Watagan Mountains frame the western edge of Lake Macquarie, their interconnected ridgelines and sandstone outcrops known to have provided shelter and hunting grounds for the Awabakal people during the winter months. Trinity Point was a significant site for Aboriginal occupation, not only as a vital food source, but also for its strong spiritual connection to the surrounding waters. Arcadia’s landscape design celebrates Country through native planting, materiality, wayfinding, sculptures, and viewing decks woven throughout the site.

To find out more about Arcadia’s expertise in working with Indigenous Knowledge Holders in the Hunter region, please get in touch with Jack Stevenson, Principal of Arcadia’s Newcastle studio.

The post Newcastle Approvals: SSDA for projects with First Nations engagement first appeared on Arcadia Landscape Architecture.