Romsey Ecotherapy Park received two national awards for landscape architecture, celebrating its design and community benefits.
Designed by ACLA Consultants, the park received two Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) National Landscape Architecture Awards at a ceremony on October 24 – an Excellence in the Parks and Open Space award and a Regional Achievement award.
In June this year, the park also won two AILA state awards in these same categories.
In a statement from the AILA jury, it said the awards were offered in consideration of the park’s therapeutic gardens, water features, artistic and cultural elements, play area with picnic facilities that caters to all ages, and spaces for outdoor performances and community events.
“The project is a stunning example of the profound impact that collaborative design and community agency can have in crafting spaces that resonate with social and environmental values,” the jury statement said.
According to AILA, the Romsey Ecotherapy Park was the result of a 14-year community-led initiative by the Romsey Ecotherapy Park Inc., aiming to transform the abandoned town primary school site into a nature-based space for passive recreation.
The park officially opened in October 2022 and is accessible from Main Street, Palmer Street and Williams Street in Romsey.
Oscar Parry
