When Maroochy Shire Council in Queensland, decided to revamp the town of Buderim, it staged a competition to encourage a number of design teams to submit plans. This created an opportunity to consider a range of innovative visions for the future.
The Buderim Master Plan Design Competition was launched with the only guidelines being that plans needed to include a roundabout at a specified junction, a pedestrian crossing and a village green precinct. Four designs were shortlisted for further development with the winner to receive the contract for the final $800,000 project, and the three others, $4,000 for their work.
The panel of judges included Council’s Director Planning and Development, Magdy Yousseff; Shire Architect/Urban Designer, Zrinca Johnston; Planning Committee Chairman, Cr Gerry Gordon; Head of Department of Architecture University of Queensland, Michael Keniger; and President of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Queensland, Dennis Eiszele.
Having settled on the four finalists, community comments were sought through public displays. Maroochy Shire Mayor Don Culley said the competition was an innovative method to generate creative ideas and achievable solutions.
“The community’s comments on the four entries have been comprehensive and used by the jury as a valuable tool to understand the local community’s opinion, response and reaction to the Masterplan competition entries,” he said.
Clare Design Pty Ltd received the judge’s nod. Its entry was selected for its creativity and because it displayed a comprehensive understanding of Buderim’s needs.
“Among other things, it presented a master Plan which displayed the clearest understanding of Buderim’s constraints and opportunities,” said Magdy Yousseff.
Features of Clare Design’s entry which impressed the judges were its ‘vision, innovation and a high level of creativity for the town, matched by a realistic attitude to the achievement of the ideas’, the cohesion and unity of themes, and its use of existing natural features and trails of the town to reinforce secondary walkways and pedestrian movement.
“The Jury panel considered that all entries responded enthusiastically to the Competition Design Brief and there was a high standard of design,” Magdy Yousseff said. The revamp of the Town is expected to commence in mid 1998.
For further information contact Magdy Yousseff, telephone (07) 5441 8241.
