As a design-focused landscape architecture and urban design practice, Arcadia approaches every project from the perspective of the human experience. Passion and constant innovation underpin world-class outcomes that explore and harness the unique value and potential of each site.
At Arcadia we design outdoor places that create profound and lasting connections between people, spaces and environment, delivering visionary, sustainable solutions that enhance communities. As a progressive, passionate design practice, we’ve lent our expertise to a wonderfully diverse range of landmark projects across Australia. Our experience covers the full spectrum of outdoor design, including landscape architecture, urban design, landscape master planning, public domain, commercial, retail, hospitality, residential, health and education, aged care and industrial projects.
Arcadia focuses on bridging site opportunities and client needs through an intimate understanding of the physical and social environments in which we work. We achieve this through a combination of in-depth research, advanced technology and consultation with industry leaders. Our rigorous planning and design processes cleverly and cost-effectively integrate function with site-responsive design to express identity and a strong sense of place.
Our approach to Indigenous Country, heritage and culture goes beyond project-based work. From establishing Australia’s first Indigenous Landscape Architecture Scholarship, to our partnerships with Indigenous initiatives and our in-house staff cultural training and our ongoing employment and mentoring of Indigenous professionals, Arcadia prides ourselves on being at the forefront of our industry in engagement, advancement and collaboration with our First People.
A determination to remain at the forefront of innovations in design, technology and construction methodology is pivotal to providing our clients with the best possible outcomes. Arcadia is one of the most experienced Urban Design and Landscape Architects in Australia on BIM. We have developed a series of market-leading capabilities specific to Urban Design and Landscape projects.
Arcadia is an established, accomplished team of likeminded individuals who are both dynamic and enthusiastic. As our company expands, we continue to embrace and nurture experienced specialists in their field who share our common vision and passion for exploring new spaces, investigating revolutionary ideas and discovering new technologies. Together we strive for unique creative solutions that engage the community and produce places that are enduring and memorable. Our core principles revolve around providing a more rewarding, enjoyable and mutually enlightening service to our clients. We want the experience to be exceptional in its entirety, running seamlessly from start to finish.
Arcadia is a meeting of minds who seek inspiration everywhere and love to stay in touch with everything new and exciting in the industry.
When engaged by St Ignatius to design the Therry Courtyard, Arcadia immediately saw the potential to create a collaborative, flexible outdoor space, with extension of teaching space a priority to the landscape approach. By challenging the parameters of what constitutes learning space within a school campus, the landscape has allowed the school to extend the teaching and learning opportunities from 14 to 24 learning areas, optimally sized for collaborative learning. An innovative strategy overcame the confined site footprint and challenging topography. Application of a modular stacking form across a sloping site ensures the whole space is being used to its full potential, with careful spatial orientation and level management creating views across the axis of the site. Biophilic design elements provide a connection to the natural surrounds, strengthening the capacity for creativity, focus and wellbeing for the boys. A strong link to the surrounding national park and river edge setting is achieved through use of robust materials, including concrete, timber and stone, selected to maintain their desired appearance throughout time. The design approach and vision has delivered an area that has been embraced by all for innovative learning activities and a more playful way to circulate around the school. Accessible, inviting spaces provide a “home-base”, enabling students to come together as part of the overall community, or for somewhere to retreat, reflect, socialise and belong.
First settled in 1860 and owned by the Inglis family for over 100 years, the Newmarket Randwick site has a remarkable history, not just of Randwick’s early settlement, but also of the Australian horse-racing industry. Arcadia has created a holistic landscape strategy that nurtures and celebrates the long and rich cultural heritage of Newmarket in a new neighbourhood precinct for the Randwick community. Over 30 per cent of Randwick Newmarket is designated as public open space, including a 5,000 sqm public park, food and beverage plaza and village square, streetscape, and public through-site links connecting Barker Street. The retention of original structures has helped shape the site-wide landscape vision. The master plan is structured around a single access point with sight lines running the length of the site, connecting from Barker Street to the new Town Square, public playground and sales ring, Newmarket House and the Big Stable. Throughout Newmarket Randwick, Moreton Bay fig trees are a defining feature of the landscape, and the landscape strategy celebrates the presence of these majestic sentinels, designing open space with the trees as the focal point. Located at the heart of the site is the iconic Newmarket sales ring. Seeing the potential to keep the “bones” of the sales ring and celebrate this vital element to the site’s history, the original framework will be used to create a suspended climbing and play structure.
Located in Lewisham, one of Sydney’s oldest suburbs, the Hudson Street Park Precinct is surrounded by a diverse mixed-use development. Strategically located adjacent to a major light-rail stop, Hudson Street Park has created a bustling and well-connected precinct. This 3,200m2 public park balances through site links with inclusive recreation design, encouraging social engagement and interaction and strengthening the sense of community. This vibrant space is a unique blend of old and new, celebrating the rich historical and cultural heritage of the site in a modern and innovative way, helping to fulfil the aim of the Inner West Council to transform a “former light industrial area into a desirable locality where people will want to live and spend time in”. Arcadia recognised the opportunity for the park to act as a cultural reflection of Lewisham’s progressive community, a diverse place where the design provides an engaging, positive, healthy environment in which people commute, live, play, learn and exercise. Hudson Street Park has introduced spaces for people to gather, interact and engage with each other, thus developing and strengthening that sense of community and neighbourhood identity.
