Turf Design Studio offers a rare depth in thinking for major development and public domain; weaving together planning, design and ecology into a vibrant tapestry – creating places that are functional, fit for living, and where the hand of the designer remains largely unseen.
We understand the nature of major urban projects and what it takes to deliver them. As Landscape Architects and Urbanists, we are key contributors in the making of cities. Our blended knowledge of urban design, landscape architecture, environment, community and infrastructure makes our profession unique in connecting people and place.
Our creative and accomplished team brings fresh thinking to every project and strives to realise a site’s inherent character through innovative planning and design solutions. The making of meaningful, beautiful places is an endeavour that we take very seriously, as both a creative challenge and project responsibility. What makes a place feel right? How can it surprise, excite or soothe the senses? What purpose must it serve and what stories can it tell?
We create settings for life – to enrich a site’s essential qualities of space and light, how it is sensed and how it is revealed. We create memorable places.
“Turf Design Studio has brought the idea and reality of collaborative practice in landscape architecture to new levels of creativity and effectiveness. In response to complex challenges in urban design and ecological design, the Turf team under the leadership of Mike Horne, has reached out to like-minded but complementary atelier-based practices in Australia and Europe to deliver projects with an energy and élan that has given the term synergy true meaning.
From a new landscape for the central campus of Australia’s oldest university to a dense urban quarter, a dramatic waterfront and a system of constructed ecologies for an inner urban park, the collaborative approach has brought talent and skill to the making of the city in pacesetting ways.
The Turf approach, based on the combined power of small offices, has brought design innovation to the fore in all these projects, backed up by deep knowledge on how to build and the city has been the winner.”
– Professor James Weirick, Professor of Landscape Architecture, Director, Urban Development & Design Program, Faculty of Built Environment, UNSW
Please also refer to the 2021 TDS Company Book for additional information.
Thank you for your consideration from the bottom of our hearts.
It was in 2007 when Jeppe Aagaard Andersen and Turf Design Studio were commissioned by Frasers Property to reimagine the public domain of the Carlton United Brewery site. Within the context of highly collaborative design workshops in Sydney, London and Paris JAAA+TDS conceived an expanded and interconnected network of new places – streets, lanes, parks and plazas; each unique yet forming a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Twelve years on JAAA+TDS has played a formative role in the creation of an entirely new city precinct delivered via 12 major public domain and building projects including:
Stages 1 & 2 Infrastructure Works, eight new streets, Chippendale Green, Chippendale Walk, Park Lane, seven thru-site pedestrian links, One Central Park, The Steps on Abercrombie and the Kensington Street precinct. Now almost complete, the mix of 4200 residents and 1200 workers, supermarkets and cafes makes for a vibrant new urban village breathing new life into what was a baron and desolate stretch of Broadway, while adding to the energy and vitality of inner-city
Chippendale. Central Park’s public domain exemplifies how a well-considered and legible public domain framework can both unite a site and re-stitch a city. Since opening in 2012, Central Park has quickly become a much loved new addition to city life. From the everyday dog walk or yoga class, to hosting bi-monthly markets and numerous annual major events, Central Park has been embraced by the community at all levels.
“Since their engagement in 2007, JAAA + Turf Design Studio have been responsible for public domain design within the Central Park precinct. They were an integral part of the masterplanning team led by Foster + Partners in collaboration with architects Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Johnson Pilton Walker, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and Tzannes Associates.”
Michael Goldrick, Director of Project Management, Frasers Property Australia
CLIENT: FRASERS PROPERTY &
GREENCLIFF
LOCATION: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
An important place conceived from the Central Park public domain framework is
Kensington Street. Bordering the eastern edge of Central Park, it brings to the table
Sydney’s newest laneway; transforming a once abandoned corner of the city into an
‘eat street’ destination of premier restaurants, cafes and wine bars. Heritage warehouses and terraces are awash with new creative spaces, contemporary art galleries and innovative retailers; bringing an eclectic buzz to this urban laneway of Broadway.
Kensington Street is a pedestrian shared zone that provides a distinctly characterful
vibe to downtown Sydney. Old world charm exudes through its brick and granite features, tying in with the heritage of its surrounding architecture. Instead of regular raised kerbs, original trachyte kerbing has been uplifted and reinstated flush alongside the brick paving as a historical line and making the street feel like one unified space. A formal avenue of tree plantings is a buffer between vehicular movements and café break out spaces. Customised timber benches are placed rhythmically along Kensington Street to encourage pedestrian amenity & activate
the street life.
“I especially commend Turf Design Studio in collaboration with Greencliff and the
project’s architects, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, for the careful restoration and reinvigoration of some of the City’s oldest dwellings and the creation of a new,
vibrant, human-scaled place for all to enjoy.”
Clover Moore
Lord Mayor of Sydney
CLIENT: CITY OF SYDNEY
LOCATION: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Sydney Park Water Re-Use Project is one of the city’s largest environmental projects to date, forming an integral part of the strategy behind Sustainable Sydney 2030. The project is a seamless intersection of design, art and science; an outcome only achieved by the devoted collaboration between those involved.
The beating heart of this project tells a story about water; through its function and processes that enables water to be harvested in its wetlands, made good and returned to viable use within the park and nearby industry. ‘The Cascades’ bio-retention wetlands captures water from the Newtown catchment; the equivalent measure of 340 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth per annum.
The project reinvigorates our view of park landscapes, by creating intrigue and dialogue as park users explore and discover ‘moments’ in the landscape that can be at times playful, dramatic and peaceful, but at all times connected to the water narrative of capture, movement, and cleansing.
Turpin + Crawford’s ‘Waterfalls’ artwork playfully releases water from the wetlands and into the ponds; playing on the spirit of water and its interactions with topography, form, surfaces, plant life and fauna. New picnic grounds, paths and recreational spaces are interwoven through the new park landscape; enhancing amenity and accessibility for all park users.
The exposure of this project educates visitors on the importance of water management and how improving water quality and reducing potable water can be intrinsically linked into our natural surroundings.
“Turf Design Studio & Environmental Partnership have transformed the park, literally bringing the wetlands and the story of water treatment to life in the park’s ecosystems and in the community’s imagination. Through the chain of wetlands, connected by weirs, bridges, paths and stepping stones, the designers have created delightful places in the park’s landscape, connecting community and
nature.”
Clover Moore
Lord Mayor of Sydney
CLIENT: CITY OF SYDNEY
LOCATION: SYDNEY, AUS
In the last two decades much has been achieved to transform the Sydney Park site
from its former industrial history and waste disposal into 44 hectares of parkland and a vital asset for the growing communities of Sydney’s southern suburbs. Refurbishment to the C.A.R.E.S. Precinct forms a part of major upgrade works to the park; a strategy towards creating a more cohesive landscape within the structure of the park. Turf Design Studio & Environmental Partnership led the design of the bike track and precinct. The completed works are TDEP’s latest contribution to Sydney Park, following shortly after their design of Sydney Park’s Water Re-Use project.
TDEP’s main objective was to uphold a design language that was in line with the masterplan vision developed for the park in 2006. The track offers a range of opportunities and challenges for both young children and pre-teens; a contemporary replacement of the previous roadway focused track. Even the ‘big kids’ have found their place there (as seen in this skateboarding post on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfm0oIDH1MP/
The existing Cycling Centre remains and the Gymkhana has been relocated to make room for new BBQ facilities and picnic areas; providing patrons and families with opportunities to stay and play. TDEP continues to be involved in other planning and design projects for Sydney Park, including the Wetland Explorer; an overall design strategy aimed to educate children and visitors about the processes of the wetlands and Sydney Park’s ecology.
Sydney Park Bike Track was the recipient of Kidsafe National Playspace Design Award, 2016.
“The City of Sydney commissioned Turf Design Studio and Environmental Partnership to lead a strong cross-disciplinary team… The bike track has expanded the range of riding experiences in a social and playful way… Overall, the project has delivered a precinct that can serve the growing number of children, friends and family visiting Sydney Park.”
Christopher Thomas
Manager Design, City Projects
City of Sydney
Eco-Retreat
CLIENT: TARONGA ZOO
LOCATION: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
The Wildlife Retreat at Taronga aims to secure a shared future for wildlife and humans by: becoming one of the Australia’s first 5 Star Greenstar Hotel environments; creating an iconic, adventurous and interactive experience; and integrating the buildings with the surrounding landscape.
The Retreat consists of 62 luxury hotel rooms housed within 5 accommodation pods, together with the Guest Lodge Entry Pavilion, and separate Restaurant building that links to the existing Taronga Function Centre. The pods encircle and overlook an open and accessible animal exhibit focussed on native Australian species.
The built form creates a permeable environment with a variety of visual and physical connections. The accommodation pods include landscape “Green Screens” covering their northern facades and wrapping up over their roofs to camouflage the buildings and enhance the magnificent outlook over the animal exhibits, with Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and CBD skyline beyond.
The Australia Habitat will be delivered in two phases – Phase 1 completed in 2018 and Phase 2 completed in 2021. Australian animals in the new habitat may include wallabies, echidnas, bandicoots, Platypus, Koalas and Freshwater Eels. Visitors to the new habitat will also be immersed in the diverse cultures of Australia’s Indigenous communities, all on the shores of Cammeraigal country.
There is increasing demand for immersive wildlife experiences and they are proven to influence people’s attitudes and behaviours. During a 24-hour stay, visitors will experience unprecedented close-up encounters with Australian animals and enjoy tours and talks within the Australian landscape including morning and evening animal encounters.
“The Wildlife Retreat at Taronga has strengthened Taronga’s vision to secure a shared future for wildlife and people. The project has provided a unique and exciting opportunity to influence attitudes and behaviours of guests towards sustainability and wildlife conservation, by encouraging visitors to see themselves as ‘part of the wild’.
Critical to the success of the project was the collaboration between key consultant firms COX Architecture, Green and Dale Associates and Turf Design Studio bringing together architectural, zoological, public domain and landscape expertise into a harmonious setting for both animals and visitors.”
Matt Spooner, Senior Project and Construction Procurement Manager
Taronga Conservation Society Australia
