GLAS Landscape Architects

The new entry garden for the Ian Potter Museum of Art @ianpottermuseum features a suspended steel mesh bridge that protects the roots of mature trees while creating a distinctive arrival experience. Designed in collaboration with academics from the Wilin Centre @thewilincentre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development, the garden showcases plant species traditionally used in weaving and represented in artefacts held within the museum’s collection. Arranged in concentric rings, the planting responds to microclimates, tree protection zones, and the layered patterns of woven forms, serving as a living resource for students and artists. Designed by GLAS for the University of Melbourne @unimelb with @wood_marsh

GLAS Landscape Architects, alongside McP Studio, Bkk Architects , Design Flow, Amplifier Collective, Movement & Place and HillPDA, are proud to have contributed to a once-in-a-generation vision for the iconic Dandenong Market Precinct Plan for the City of Greater Dandenong @cityofgreaterdandenong . This landscape-led plan seeks to honour and strengthen the area’s unique character through: • A legible, permeable urban structure integrated with surrounding streets and laneways • Celebrating water in the public realm through Water Sensitive Urban Design, reflecting the original creek tributary connected to Dandenong Creek • Elevating origin, place and identity through an enhanced public realm that acknowledges heritage, retains mature trees, and restores cultural landscape and ecology — designing for both people and non-human kin • Increasing activity through activated edges, universal design, and pedestrian prioritisation with limited vehicular access • Creating high-quality public spaces, including new links, plazas, and an expanded Pioneer Park • Improving movement with enhanced walking and cycling connections, upgraded streetscapes, and integrated transport The Draft Precinct Plan is now open for consultation — explore the link below and have your say. https://www.greaterdandenong.vic.gov.au/contact-us/news-and-media/community-consultation-future-dandenong-market-precinct

We’re thrilled to share that Michelle Guglielmo Park on Sydney Road has won the WGIN Green Neighbourhood Award 🌿🏆 Located in Merri-bek, meaning “rocky knoll” in Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung language, this 569m² pocket park transforms a former concrete car yard into a thriving, biodiverse green space in the heart of Brunswick. The project demonstrates climate positive design in action. Over 70 percent of the site is now permeable. A network of swale gardens captures and recharges stormwater, supporting passive irrigation and urban cooling. Concrete was removed to reconnect and restore natural soil systems, enabling long-term ecological resilience. Native planting creates layered microclimates that attract birds and insects back into the city. Reclaimed bluestone boulders, recycled brick and repurposed wharf timber reduce embodied carbon while celebrating the area’s industrial heritage. Sculptural rock forms reference Merri-bek’s meaning of Rocky Country, grounding the space in both geological and cultural context. More than just a park, it is a small but strategic intervention that shows how urban landscapes can mitigate climate impacts, enhance biodiversity and foster community connection all at once. “Innovation is most powerful when shared with the people it serves.” Jury Citation Huge thanks to @merribekcouncil and the community who helped shape this space. Project team GLAS, @marcusconstructions , @urbania_au , @arupgroup , @opsengineers , Manda Lane, Jenna Lee Artists Photo credits: Nico Keean #Greenneighbourhood #UrbanLandscape #Stormwaterdesign #Country #LandscapeArchitecture

Join Urban Design Forum Australia for a guided walking tour with City of Merri-bek and GLAS Urban 🚶‍♂️🏙️ Starting at Jewell Station (Wilson Ave), this walk explores how Brunswick along the Upfield Rail corridor has transformed since 2010 — from a light industrial area behind the Sydney Road spine into a rare example of high density, mid rise urban development in Melbourne. Clusters of development at Wilson Avenue (Jewell Station) and Breese and Ovens Streets (Anstey Station), along with opportunistic new infill public space projects by the City of Merri-bek, have turned the area into a petri dish of experimentation — revealing both positive lessons and cautionary tales for the future impacts of the Activity Centre upzoning program. Led by local resident and UDF Committee Member Andy Fergus, with Merri-bek Urban Designer Thea Roberts, two groups will spend 90 minutes walking from Jewell Station to Anstey Station, visiting recent private and public projects before finishing with a drink in Bulleke-Bek Park 🍻🌿 And yes, there will likely be impromptu chalk drawings explaining floor plans on the pavement ✏️🙂 📍 Meet up location: Jewell Station 🗓️ 18th February, Wednesday ⏰ 6:15–7:45 pm (arrive 5–10 minutes early) 🎟️ Open to members and friends (non members welcome). 50 person maximum — get in quickly! Click on the link in our bio to grab your tickets 🔗

GLAS Landscape Architects are excited to be working on #CreativeWest, a once-in-a-generation cultural precinct set to reshape the civic heart of Footscray and help unlock the revitalization of Melbourne's west, supported by the Australian Government. Bringing together a new performing arts venue and library within a town park, Creative West positions the public realm as the connective tissue. Here, the landscape becomes the civic stage - supporting everyday use, cultural exchange and community gathering. The landscape will connect buildings, people and place, shaping how the precinct is experienced day to night. Guided by engagement with community and Traditional Owners, the public realm will reflect #footscray ’s layered identity while embedding #biodiversity, #climateresilience and long-term flexibility. Working with City of Maribyrnong, and our design partners @Architectus and @public_realm_lab , we’re looking forward to shaping a vibrant and inclusive civic landscape for Melbourne’s west. With @Architectus @public_realm_lab @schulershook @TTW @tractconsultants @lci_consultants @Marshalldayconsulting @susu_studio @mckenziestudio @chatterboxprojects @rlb.idn @RLB @turner_and_townsend

For our studio’s Big Day Out, we spent the afternoon at a conservation area along the Merri Creek with the City of Whittlesea. Conservation Officer Erica Hoggett guided us through the site and shared the work involved in its long-term ecological restoration.
 
We walked off-track through the wetlands, learning about the habitat of the Growling Grass Frog, a threatened species that depends on a delicate balance of water quality, vegetation structure and seasonal hydrology. We also heard about conservation initiatives on site, including “frog spas” and “frog saunas” that are used to fight against killer fungus.
 
Spending time with the people who care for these landscapes every day reinforces the importance of design that supports ecological function, not just form. It was a valuable reminder that the decisions we make on drawings have real consequences for habitat, biodiversity and long-term resilience.
 
Huge thanks to Erica @citywhittlesea for sharing your knowledge, passion and mud-covered enthusiasm.
 
 #conservation #ecology #urbanecology #growlinggrassfrog #wetlandrestoration

Huge thanks to @bildgroup for an energising session on construction innovation (yes, we’re talking about coffee concrete ☕🧱) and soil inoculation 🌱, and to @repurposeit_au for the Epping tour and deep dive into FOGO, soil science, QA/testing and 100% recycled landscape materials. Days like this sharpen our specs, spark new ideas, and strengthen how we build circularity into projects. Thanks for the generosity, knowledge sharing and good vibes. Photo: Repurpose It / GLAS #circulareconomy #recycled #materials #fogo #soilhealth #soilscience #construction #innovation #concrete #landscapearchitecture #sustainability

Kicked off the festive season with our GLAS Xmas Tree Lighting last Thursday 🎄✨ So lovely having our close friends and neighbours out the studio for an evening of good vibes, ping pong battles and end-of-year cheer. ❤️ GLAS will be closed from 19 Dec and reopening on 5 Jan.

GLAS is proud to be collaborating with Lyons Architecture, Winsor Kerr, and the City of Monash on the design of the Glen Waverley Civic Precinct, a project that’s set to reimagine the centre of Glen Waverley as a vibrant, green, and inclusive public space. At the heart of the precinct will be the new Glen Waverley Library and Community space, designed to be a much-loved civic space for learning, gathering, and connecting. The surrounding landscape has been carefully designed to invite people in, with open spaces for everyday use, multi-purpose areas for community events, and thoughtful connections to local shops and civic buildings. Through a co-design process with the Wurundjeri Traditional Custodians, the landscape will celebrate stories of water, trade, and kinship, embedding cultural knowledge into the planting, material choices, and storytelling moments across the precinct. This is a space designed for nature, culture, and community to come together in the heart of Glen Waverley. Explore more on: shape.monash.vic.gov.au/gwcp Project team:@winsorkerr @lyonsarchitecture @glaslandscape Renders from GLAS #landscapearchitecture #publicrealm #glenwaverley #urbandesign #designforcommunity #wurundjeri #indigenousdesign #biodiversity #library #shapemonash #australianlandscapearchitecture #futurepublicspaces

🏆 NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS: 2025 AILA National Landscape Architecture Awards GLAS is honoured to have received two National Landscape Architecture Awards at the 2025 AILA National Awards, announced recently in Tasmania. Community Contribution – Landscape Architecture Award for Tiny Patches Jury citation: Tiny Patches is a small yet powerful project that demonstrates how no intervention is too modest to spark meaningful change. This creative and provocative project drew on research to call for a reimagining of urban landscapes in the face of biodiversity loss. The playful and provocative exhibition challenged conventional design thinking and called for urban landscapes – even those in highly developed contexts – to be reshaped with biodiversity and community life in mind. The jury commends the project for its First Nations leadership, creativity, beauty and message, noting how it pushes the boundaries of landscape architecture while inspiring us to see value in even the smallest contributions. Project team and collaborators: Photographer, @drew_echberg_photographer Cultural collaborator, @winsorkerr Ecologist, Dr Amy Hahs Ecologist, Dr Luis Mata 📸 @drew_echberg @ngvmelbourne #ailawards #landscapearchitecture #glaslandscapearchitects #tinypatches #melbournedesignweek #communitycontribution #climatepositivedesign #australianlandscapearchitecture #designforpeopleandplanet

🏆 NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS: 2025 AILA National Landscape Architecture Awards GLAS is honoured to have received two National Landscape Architecture Awards at the 2025 AILA National Awards, announced recently in Tasmania. 🌱 Climate Positive Design – Landscape Architecture Award for Michelle Guglielmo Park Jury citation: This project exemplifies the prioritisation of environmental and social sustainability in landscape architecture projects, no matter the size. While a relatively small space, the careful use of salvaged and local materials, integrated WSUD, maximised soil volumes, and species selections enhance the environmental resilience of the place. Embedded artworks and space for community video projections make this a place for social gathering and celebration of local artists. The design team have thoughtfully crafted a place of vegetated refuge for the community in a highly urbanised neighbourhood. 📸 Merri-bek Council Project team and collaborators: @merri_bekcitycouncil @marcusconstructions Construction @opsengineers Civil Engineers @arupgroup Lighting design A heartfelt thank you to our amazing client @merri_bekcitycouncil and everyone involved in bringing these projects to life, and congratulations to all 37 national winners across 16 categories! #ailawards #landscapearchitecture #glaslandscapearchitects #tinypatches #michelleguglielmopark #sydneyroad #brunswick #communitycontribution #climatepositivedesign #australianlandscapearchitecture #designforpeopleandplanet

Ride to Work Day 🚴‍♀️ Most of our team ride to work daily, so designing spaces that make cycling safer and more enjoyable is close to our hearts. At #JewellStation, we connected the Upfield Bike Path directly into the station forecourt, creating a space where cyclists, commuters, and locals can move, pause, and gather. Here’s to everyday riders and bike-friendly cities. 💚 #ridetoworkday #bikemelbourne #jewelstation #glasurban #publicspace #landscapearchitecture #urbandesign #brunswick #activetransport #bikelife