Landscape design principles
Sub-topics
Landscape principles
Campus landscape structure
Major landscape zones
Landscape principles
The general landscape principles arise partly from analysis of the existing site but are also propositional statements that look towards the future structure and character of the campus landscape.
Principle One – Environmental sustainability: Develop a campus landscape which minimises water use, protects the adjacent national park environment, enhances biodiversity, creates habitat for indigenous fauna, utilises indigenous flora and minimises energy and non-renewable resource use.
Principle Two – Sociability and safety: Create opportunities for social interaction, outdoor classes, and lone study or contemplation within a safe environment which acknowledges CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles.
Principle Three – Water: Build on the existing water collection, filtration and re-use system to maintain a high level of water conservation within the campus landscape. Express the campus water system as a major visual element within the landscape.
Principle Four – Formal spaces: Provide formal landscape spaces that support a variety of activities in close proximity to buildings, courtyards and entrances.
Principle Five – Informal parkland: Develop a landscape character beyond the central building zone which mediates between the formal core campus landscape and the broad-acre bushland landscape. This landscape type should integrate activities and spaces associated with movement corridors, carparks, sports fields and associated buildings and passive recreation.
Principle Six – Bushland: Create a landscape which provides habitat for local fauna and has high biodiversity values. This landscape should build on the translocation zone and enhance opportunities for environmental science research, contemplation and strolling.
Principle Seven – Primary and secondary spaces: Develop a hierarchy of spaces within the overall campus which includes:
- central spine
- primary activity zones
- minor courtyards and building entry forecourts
- parkland nodes
- open parkland and bushland
Principle Eight – Gathering nodes: Create a sense of address and orientation as well as opportunities for informal rest/meeting areas at building entrances and at entries to major internal spaces, eg student services, large lecture theatres etc.
Principle Nine – Integration with the surrounding development: Provide strong visual and pedestrian links with each adjoining boundary and beyond to adjoining areas so as to integrate the landscape physically and visually with its immediate context.
Principle Ten – Vehicle routes: Create a memorable and easy to navigate entry experience to the campus which leads to defined major vehicle routes emphasised by avenue planting.
Principle Eleven – Pedestrian linkages: Define major and secondary pedestrian routes through pavement types and widths. Provide a high level of amenity through pavement selection, lighting, furniture and soft landscaping along major routes. Assess the appropriate level of amenity for secondary routes which may vary from paved paths in the main building zones to minor trails in the broader parkland.
Principle Twelve – Planting canopy: Retain and augment tree planting that provides shade, a sense of scale and supports the defined character zones across the campus. Differentiate between a mix of exotic and native trees within the main building precinct, and native and regionally indigenous species in the wider parkland and bushland areas.
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Campus landscape structure
Landscape structure
The existing landscape at University of Sunshine Coast possesses some degree of structure and hierarchy that arises primarily from the disposition of existing buildings, walkways and car parks. The on ground layout of buildings, pathways and car parks is highly influential on landscape structure and hierarchy, which affects amenity, sense of place and convenience.
The overall legibility of the core campus as a public space is currently high, primarily due to the strength of the central spine and the small number of buildings. As the campus grows the landscape will be required to contribute substantially more to the legibility of the site.
The planting deployed across the site during 1996–2006 has only moderately contributed to precinct definition, urban design structure and visual consistency. The potential, therefore, to establish a recognisable hierarchy of canopy trees is one of the key proposals of the masterplan.
There are several issues that will influence the campus landscape as it adapts and develops in the future:
- development of a whole of campus landscape context for the ongoing development of the site
- accommodation of outdoor education and passive recreation
- increasing concern with ESD and in particular: water and energy conservation
- need to respond to the urban setting of the future adjacent Town Centre
- need to create a landscape link to, and setting for, the proposed recreation and sports precinct
- creation of a landscape framework and hierarchy of spaces that informs future building siting and design
The use and enjoyment of the campus landscape will revolve around a series of organised spaces or opportunities that together provide a sense of integrated landscape structure and hierarchy. Rather than being conceived as ‘left over green areas', these elements of the landscape together form and constitute the liveable landscape of the campus, perceivable as the connecting structure of the external spaces of the site.
Elements of landscape structure
Taken together, the following elements of landscape structure provide a general framework for the ongoing development of the campus landscape:
- Entrance sequence: The curved entrance road establishes a distinctive sense of entry to the University. The roadway and associated avenue planting, pedestrian/cycle path, lighting and soft landscaping provide a high level of amenity while maintaining views along the central spine.
- Central spine: The main space within the University which provides a strong sense of Campus identity. A balance is struck between maintaining a unified overall character while responding to the activities within each group of buildings along its length.
- Activity hubs: Areas where there is a confluence of paths, building entries and courtyards. Natural interaction venues used as casual meeting, eating and gathering places. Generally combining plaza paving and formal walkways with structured planting, seats/tables and lighting. Often an appropriate location for works of art.
- Cross connections: Major paths running from carparks to the Central Spine. Defined by broad paths and distinctive avenue trees.
- Town connection: Precinct along north west edge of the campus comprising major pedestrian/cycle path, University Park and ‘commercial' university facilities. Opportunity to integrate with the proposed Town Centre and create a ‘blurred edge' with continuity of movement between the two.
- Landscape destinations: Special gardens, pavilions and gathering spaces within the broader landscape which entice students, staff and visitors to explore the campus landscape. Places to support contemplation, meeting, classes, events and research.
- Parklands: Broader campus landscape generally with informal open woodland character of predominantly native trees over irrigated or dryland grass.
- Bushland: Locally indigenous species building on the translocation zone in the western sector of the campus.
- Water: Building on the current network of channels, ponds and lakes to provide visual relief, habitat and ecological diversity and a unique character to various nodal points in the landscape.
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Major landscape zones
The campus landscape consists of three major zones which reflect the distribution of activity, density of buildings and adjacent land uses of the site.
Central campus
The area defined by the main building grouping of the campus exhibits a comparatively formal landscape character which responds to the geometry and spatial character of the central spine and associated cross axes. The design and siting of buildings creates courtyards and other landscape spaces which house a variety of activities. Landscape treatments seek to respond to the spatial opportunities created by building siting and design, as well as support and complement internal activities such as dining, studying and social meetings. A defined palette of materials, furniture and plantings assists in providing a strong sense of continuity and cohesiveness to this zone.
Parkland
Extending beyond the core of the main building grouping a parkland character is proposed consisting predominantly of open woodland native trees over a ground plane of either irrigated or dryland grasses. The palette of tree types consists mainly of regionally indigenous species. Trees are grouped to provide shade, enhance views, define sub spaces where appropriate, and provide a landscape setting for individual buildings. This zone is a major component of the campus experience, reinforcing the outdoor casual lifestyle of the Sunshine Coast and providing a regionally distinctive setting for the campus.
Bushland zone
Building on the Translocation Plantings in the east corner of the site, the bushland zone extends west to the lakes and north west to the Sports Precinct. This zone consists of locally indigenous species, providing an extension of the adjacent National Park, habitat for Eastern Grey Kangaroos and other native fauna, a research resource for University staff and students, and a place of relaxation and contemplation for all.
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