A THRIVING AND TRANQUIL SCHOOL COURTYARD

The client's vision was to create an inclusive garden that offered opportunities for informal outdoor classes and a tranquil environment where students could unwind during breaks, separate from the active sports courts.

Under the leadership of PTA Landscapes Co-Director, Andrew Wilson, with the assistance of PTA’s educational design team, the Australian International Academy of Education's Garden Square was conceived.

The Garden Square is a beautiful and inviting space, framed by new garden beds with exposed aggregate concrete paving and edging interfaces that separate grass and garden areas. Synthetic grass was used on the ground to provide an all-weather surface that can withstand high usage, and also provides opportunities for on-ground seating. The Garden Square is fenced with steel hooped fencing, which protects the irrigated garden beds containing feature trees such as Acer platanoides 'Crimson Sentry' and Lagerstromia indica x fare 'Tuscarora'. The planting is layered with Eucalyptus pulverulenta 'Baby Blue' and Camellia sasanqua 'Setsugekka', under-planted with a mixture of Rhaphiolepsis, Doryanthes, Echinacea, Heuchera, Limonium, Phlox, Liorope, Salvia, Doryanthes, and Brachycombe. These plants have been chosen for their aesthetic appeal and ability to attract pollinators, making the Garden Square a haven for birds and insects.

The focal point of the garden is the innovative Urban Canopee, which stands out with its bright orange base. The Urban Canopee provides a structure for a living canopy of fragrant Chocolate Vine (Akebia Quinta) to grow over time. Once established, it will provide alternate shade coverage to the garden instead of the traditional shade sail.

The Urban Canopee is grounded by a large circle of random bluestone paving, with each bluestone piece being unique. The symbolism behind the bluestone paving is that, although each piece is unique, working together, they become one and provide a lesson that individuals working together in collaboration can achieve success.

At the far end of the garden is a three-tiered, semi-circle insitu concrete amphitheatre that looks back over the garden. The amphitheatre can comfortably seat up to 50 students and provides an outdoor classroom space that the college had been desiring. The amphitheatre’s design is a testament to PTA Landscape's commitment to creating spaces that are not only beautiful but also functional. The school's values of Advancement, Faith, and Determination are reinforced and etched onto the faces of the tiers, serving as a reminder to students of the college's mission.

The Garden Square has been a success and a testament to the collaborative effort between the school and PTA Landscapes. Thanks to the success of the project, PTA Landscapes is currently completing the next stage of works and is hopeful to continue the relationship in the future.

Check out more projects from PTA Landscapes via the links below.