Inglenooks
Public realm
Client: Inglewood on Beaufort INC (IOB)
Year: 2019-2020
Collaborators: Ligna Construction, Festoon Lighting Perth, George Domahidy (Artist) and Anya Brock (Artist)
Awards: 2021 AILA WA Landscape Architecture Award, Community Contribution.
2021 AILA WA Peoples Choice Award.
2021 PIA National Award: Great Place.
2020 PIA WA: President’s Award.
2020 PIA WA: The Great Place Award.
The Inglenooks are two new pocket parks that have been created between Ninth & Tenth Avenues, opposite Inglewood Town Square, in the private front setbacks of 884 , 896 and 898 Beaufort St. Previously, these verges were forgettable, uninspiring, and unusable. They were not used by people prior to the transformation, people would simply walk by. The Inglenooks have now become popular destinations for the community to sit, gather, socialise, relax and play. The spaces play host to informal gatherings & provide a new platform for community events including night markets, barbecues, swap meets & stage performances.
Reiteration of the project’s success has been confirmed with a plethora of awards. The awarded success of Inglenooks has enabled IOB to explore further project opportunities along the Beaufort street strip, with a Inglenooks as a their precedent project. IOB believe they can now embark on similar initiatives with new landowners far more rapidly and with less initial wariness.
The Inglenooks are special. They are not typical public spaces delivered by government or private developers. They were dreamt up and delivered by the community & the success of the project is evident in its community involvement, popularity and ownership.
The Inglenooks project transforms two underutilised privately-owned spaces along Beaufort Street into much loved community spaces. These small ‘in-between’ spaces are increasingly important in the urban environment and Inglenooks is a great example of the value that these small spaces can provide to the community.
The landscape architects have worked hand-in-glove with a local community group, intent on bringing vitality to their streets, to transform this empty space into a community place. The design cleverly introduces amenity, planting, lighting and public art to support community gathering and events and create a focal point on this busy streetscape.
This successful project demonstrates the power of community led design initiatives and the role that landscape architects can play in educating local councils and the community on the value of investing in landscape architecture. AILA WA 2021 Awards Jury Citation.
Images: Inglewood on Beaufort Inc and Four Landscape Studio