QUT landscape architecture and urban and regional planning students were honoured last week at the Planning Institute of Australia QLD Awards for Planning Excellence – six fourth-year students behind a strategic plan for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics site at Albion and first-year student Jada Gilbert, who took out the Queensland Minister's Indigenous Student in Planning Award.
The Albion Revitalisation Project was the work of Nieve Feeney, Alexander Gough, Luke Jones, Elisha Tran, Christianna Tsiboukas, and Joanna Stavrianos who responded to a brief from Brisbane City Council, which won them the Award for Excellence in the Tertiary Student Project category.
They will now be in the running for the national awards in Melbourne next year.
Their vision included the “integration and cohesion of land uses, transport and cultural heritage to utilise the immediate environmental amenity, diverse land uses and local economy to sustain the birth of the Olympics and future-proof Albion for years to come”.
The judges were impressed by the innovative concept, stating “the strategies and actions within the masterplan are multi-faceted and deliver very high quality outcomes for the reinvigoration of Albion, creating a unique community identity and a legacy beyond the Olympic Games”.
They also noted the masterplan included a comprehensive engagement approach, and the planning methodology would be transferrable to other revitalisation projects.
Dr Mark Limb, QUT lecturer in urban and regional planning with the School of Architecture and Built Environment, said the judges noted the submission highlighted the importance of good planning and addressed important issues such as housing supply and diversity, flood resilience, liveability and walkability.
“What they have created for Albion is extremely comprehensive. A plan like this requires a huge amount of work, and they went above and beyond to deliver an excellent strategic plan for the Olympics’ site at Albion,” Dr Limb said.
“There were site visits, a great deal of research undertaken and a clear strategy for doing stakeholder engagement.
“Nieve, Alexander, Luke, Elisha, Christianna, and Joanna can be very proud of their achievement, and I can see the plan being adopted beyond a concept.
“It’s also a strong reflection of the quality of teaching by the staff within QUT’s planning course and demonstrates the high calibre of industry ready graduates that we prepare for real-world careers.”
Dr Limb also had high praise for first year student Jada Gilbert, who earlier this year received the Arcadia QUT Landscape Architecture Scholarship for Indigenous Students, recognising her accomplishments and potential in both the urban and regional planning and landscape architecture fields.
Top image, from left: Luke Jones, Christianna Tsiboukas, Dr Mark Limb, Elisha Tran, Nieve Feeney, Joanna Stavrianos, and Alexander Gough.
Media contact:
Amanda Weaver, QUT Media, 07 3138 3151, amanda.weaver@qut.edu.au
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