Inside 360 Degree’s landscape vision for Beyond Hurstville
Inside 360 Degree’s landscape vision for Beyond Hurstville
24 July 2024
Beyond has been designed in harmony with an expansive landscape, seamlessly blending with the lush neighbouring parklands and local streetscapes of Hurstville to create an environment that both calms and inspires.
To complete the precinct, we partnered with award-winning landscape architecture studio, 360 Degrees, who have designed a nature-rich landscape that nurtures Beyond Hurstville’s growing community to enhance daily life for residents.
We recently sat down with Liam Bowes, 360 Degree’s Brisbane Studio Director, to explore how the landscape design of the precinct creates a constant dialogue between home and nature.
“The driving force behind our design was to create an intimate and calming landscape that provided diverse opportunities for residents to gather and build a community.
“Each aspect of the design has been carefully considered to enhance the living experience,” said Liam.
Designed to cater to residents of all stages of life, the landscaping supports the offerings of the wider precinct with multiple outdoor dining areas, a barbeque, a communal herb and vegetable garden, a games area, and a meditation deck overlooking Kempt Field.
“Whether you’re a single professional, a young family or retiring empty nesters, everyone can enjoy the landscaping to socialise, exercise or indulge in quiet introspection.”
According to Liam, another key aspect of the landscape design was the harmonious integration of Beyond’s exclusive resident amenities into the wider precinct.
“Our landscaping is a response to the architecture of the buildings, enhancing the already outstanding internal function of the amenities and facilities through the power of planting.
“For example, the bookable dining room is surrounded by lush foliage which not only creates a beautiful outlook for those using the space, but an enhanced feeling of privacy and seclusion.”
360 Degrees took a holistic approach to sustainability, with the environmental, social and economic components being meticulously considered in each design element. This resulted in the delivery of a landscape that interweaves green initiatives, vibrant community spaces, and long-term viability.
“The landscaping at Beyond has introduced a new habitat for fauna to call home. We’ve already seen the reintroduction of several local pollinators including insects, bees, and birds, which are all key indicators of a healthy ecosystem.
“Additionally, we’ve incorporated a hydraulic rainwater capture system to minimise water wastage while sustaining the planting.
“Looking beyond environmental sustainability, the social and economic factors are a big component of what we do. We sought to create an environment that improves personal wellbeing through connection to nature, and we achieved that goal by enhancing the experience for residents,” added Liam.
The green spaces feature more than 90 plant species, encompassing trees, grasses, shrubs, flowers, and edibles. Each one has been purposely selected to flourish in the local ecosystem and serves a specific function in the wider landscape.
“Residents will see a distinct sense of season in the garden because we chose each plant species with consideration to seasonal variation. As the year progresses, you’ll see different flowers and foliage in bloom at any given time, which activates the precinct distinctly and beautifully.”
As he reflects on the recent completion of the Beyond Hurstville precinct, Liam takes great pride in how residents have embraced the extensive green spaces.
“It’s not often that developers will dedicate such an expansive landscape area for resident use as Fridcorp has done at Beyond Hurstville. The fact that we’ve taken that space and created a landscape that is highly used and enjoyed by residents just as we intended makes me incredibly proud,” he concluded.