Planning Institute of Australia Awards of Excellence 2009

WAX Design recently received a number of awards including the Minster’s Award of Excellence at the PIA (SA) Awards Night. These awards recognise the company’s continued commitment to urban planning and design through collaboration, imagination and the pursuit of excellence.

Minister’s Award

The Rundle Project: The Rundle Street Integrated Public Arts Masterplan

The Minister’s Award is given to the overall winner of the South Australian Awards for Planning Excellence. This Award is judged by the South Australian Minister for Urban Development and Planning.

"The Rundle Project’s success in winning this year’s Minister’s Award is due to the collaborative approach brought to developing this Masterplan. It is also reflects the importance of using planning to deal not only with land-use issues and implications, but also to develop an urban design framework that encourages interesting places that stimulate thinking, invite interaction and provide for contemplation. Fostering better urban design will be one of the key outcomes of the State Government’s 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, so it is not only fitting but timely that the Rundle Project should be the recipient of this year’s Minister’s Award." (citation)

Award of Excellence Urban Design - Plans and Ideas
The Rundle Project: The Rundle Street Integrated Public Arts Masterplan

WAX Design in partnership with Tanya Court, Special Projects Under Development (SPUD) and Naomi Horridge.

“The jurors recommend an Award for this innovative project, which demonstrates a thorough understanding of the place of art in the urban design of public places. The project client was Adelaide City Council who should be commended for commissioning the work and encouraged to continue this commitment to urban design. The project adds considerable value to the body of knowledge of the cultural aspects of urban design in the city. The manner in which the document is presented is suitably reflective of guidelines created for public art along a linear corridor and sets a high standard and innovative mode of communication of this planning matter.” (juror's citation)

Award of Excellence Urban Design - Plans and Ideas
Port Vincent Urban Design Framework

This project was led by WAX Design in partnership with JPE; Suter Planners; Shane Foley and Associates.

“The jurors recommend an Award for this excellent framework for the future development of the coastal township of Port Vincent. The project documentation displays a very high level of urban design analysis, creative ideas development, excellent presentation and a thorough engagement of the community. The framework provides flexibility for effective decision making about future projects without being too proscriptive, but provides some photomontages of the potential. The document displays a very high standard of illustration with excellent graphics, which communicate the potential for urban design excellence in the town." (juror's citation)

Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Awards of Excellence 2009

WAX Design was recently recognised for its collaborative and innovative approach to landscape architecture and urban design at the AILA (SA) Awards Night 2009.

Landscape Architecture Award for Planning

“The project demonstrates an innovative approach to planning for public art in the urban landscape. Using public art typologies and many techniques from the urban design framework process, such as responding to the social and urban context of the street, this document demonstrates a structure for future public art proposals. The collaborative team of landscape architects and artists creatively responded to the brief, and this approach is reflected in the design of the document that challenges conventional ways of representing information.” (jurors citation)