HASSELL: Lakeway is a 4.3 hectare residential development in the leafy coastal suburb of Swanbourne, eight kilometres west of Perth, Western Australia. The development sits on a wooded dunal escarpment, overlooking Lake Claremont. Its name references the site’s former use as the Lakeway Drive-In Theatre. The HASSELL design proposal for Lakeway had a strong sustainability agenda. It included setting aside a third of the site for bush regeneration, the creation of sensitive parkland interfaces with the adjoining school and residential area, as well as nature reserve. The heritage-sensitive design retained and rehabilitated large portions of valued bushland to provide an extensive high-quality parkland amenity.
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The layout was planned around the existing Rottnest tea trees and eucalypts to retain the densely wooded character of the surrounding neighbourhood. Distinctive details were designed including feature fences, a lookout over the lake, paths, gardens and bushland tracks. Pedestrian connectivity is a key feature, with pre-existing links between surrounding schools, walking tracks and houses being strengthened including upgrades to prevent damage to natural areas from pedestrian traffic.
A series of sculptural elements, created through an interpretative public art project, have been integrated into the public realm. These elements educate people about the significance of the place to the Aboriginal people who inhabited the area prior to European settlement. They also recall the site as home to a 1950s drive-in theatre.
The residential development now capitalises on its topography and proximity to the lake and was developed in close consultation with the surrounding community. All lots were configured to maximise passive solar benefits and are supported by detailed design guidelines that mandate the sustainability requirements of energy and water conservation, resource reduction and reuse, and minimum built forms.
Lakeway demonstrates excellence in environmental planning, ecological conservation and sustainable development. It extends the long-term ecological benefits for the 39 new households to the local school, neighbouring communities and beyond.
Landscape Architecture: HASSELL
Project name: Lakeway Redevelopment
Location: Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Completion date: 2007
Area: 4.3 ha
Budget: A$2.8m
Client: Town of Claremont
Collaboration: NA
Consultant team: Town Planner (HASSELL), Civil & Traffic Engineer (Porter Consulting Engineers), Syrveyor (Crossland and Hardy), Irrigation Engineer (Poseidon Irrigation), Electrical Engineer (Jenkins Clifford), Structural Engineer (Wood and Grieve)
Image credits: Peter Bennetts and Matt Faranda
