The 2018 Landscape Industries Association of Western Australia (LIAWA) Awards showcased some of the state’s most amazing outdoor projects to date. Georgia Jordan investigates the standout spaces by multi-award-winning entrant Tim Davies Landscaping.
The biennial Landscape Industries Association of Western Australia (LIAWA) Awards of Excellence recognises the local designers, builders, suppliers and maintenance professionals who display outstanding skill and expertise in the development and execution of outdoor spaces. On June 15 2018, professionals from each sector of the landscaping industry gathered at Crown Perth’s Grand Ballroom
to celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of their colleagues and peers.
Taking home five wins, three finalist awards and the prestigious Overall Winner title for the Contractor – Residential category, Tim Davies Landscaping left a lasting impression on the judges and its fellow entrants in this year’s program.
“It is a great honour to be recognised in the LIAWA Awards of Excellence as it displays the industry members’ confidence in the high quality of work we are producing,” says managing director Tim Davies. “We continue to put a huge amount of passion, hard work and dedication into each and every one of our projects, ultimately growing our client base and building confidence in our brand and workmanship.”
Here, Western Australia Pool + Outdoor Design showcases some of Tim Davies Landscaping’s most impressive winning projects.
Swanway Crescent Residence epitomises timeless outdoor design. Fitted with discreet energy-saving LED strip lights, the staggered granite entrance steps bring movement to the landscape, and draw interest to the home’s façade. The frontage’s cladded blade wall creates a sense of arrival, while the frangipani by the front door softens the space.
The backyard now showcases a beautiful pool area that perfectly suits the owners’ growing family. Creating a space that was both functional and visually cohesive was of paramount importance to ensure the owners
could relax and enjoy the surrounds while interacting with their children as they play in the pool.
Designed to look aesthetically pleasing from the home’s interior living spaces, the pool and deck area are lush and inviting. Positioned in the corner of the backyard, the pool features complementary plant life along its borders, which attract the eye and create a focal point in the space. The poolside deck was situated to the right-hand side, which left a large amount of space free for a turfed area.
Vertical elements were used throughout the soft landscaping to echo the angular architecture of the home. The rear alfresco relaxation space features Fijian mahogany, which will develop a natural patina with time. The material appears again in the pool zone for consistency, where it will continue to complement the granite coping with age.
Every element of the garden at Webb & Brown-Neaves’ display home The Kuro was designed to encourage a tranquil ambience. Tim Davies Landscaping worked closely with the team at Webb & Brown-Neaves to create a landscaping design that would complement the style and functionality of the house.
Taking a contemporary approach to a Japanese-style zen garden, the design provides relaxed resort-inspired living in sync with nature. Interspersed among the Asian-look plants – which were selected for their suitability for the coastal environment – a circle motif can be observed throughout each space. Manifesting in the sunken garden, pool steps, steel portal, and fire pit, this key geometric form is extensively used in Japanese garden design and was adopted here to evoke a sense of calm and movement between each zone, like ripples in a pond.
Areas with visual importance were carefully positioned in relation to the interior living spaces to encourage the occupants to spend more time relaxing outdoors. The rear outdoor space comprises a series of garden rooms that inspire curiosity, discovery and exploration, while also providing a tailored level of privacy to each zone.
The entrance deck is raised like a nature walk over a sea of mass planting to create an intersection of nature within a man-made landscape. The charred timber and large boulders in this space combine with the COR-TEN steel structures, bluestone steppers, and water elements to enhance the Japanese-resort atmosphere.
The effortless flow and harmonious appearance of the gardens belie the significant challenges of their execution. In addition to a tight schedule, Tim Davies Landscaping also faced multiple site constraints throughout the design and construction stages, from the position of the trees in the sunken garden bed, which was governed by the builder’s soak wells, to the large sub-surface limestone boulders around which excavations had to be performed. The team demonstrated an award-winning amount of effort and skill to overcome each obstacle and produce a flawless result.
Designed with a formal planting palette, the gardens of this Kingsland Avenue residence create a lush yet structured oasis for the owners to enjoy undisturbed.
Terracing the sloped block allowed eye-catching views to be achieved from all onlooking rooms of the house. A cascading waterfall runs through the courtyard, providing a sense of tranquillity, while the surrounding plant life was mindfully designed to enhance the privacy of the space.
Tim Davies Landscaping established abundant plant life to conceal the dirt and mulch and encourage a luxurious feel in each space.
Iconic feature palm trees frame the entrance and magnify the scale of the house, while granite retaining walls complement the home’s elegant exterior.
The grounds are meticulously maintained by Tim Davies Landscaping to ensure they continue to enhance the classic style of the home. A Netafim drip-line irrigation system operates three times a week to keep the waterwise gardens looking healthy throughout the year.
Further enhancing the beauty and functionality of each space, energy-saving LED light strips were strategically positioned for optimum illumination.
Contractor – Commercial
Overall winner: Deep Green Landscaping for Optus Stadium
Designer – Residential
Overall winner: Principal Pools + Landscapes for Seaward Loop Project
Contractor – Residential
Overall winner: Tim Davies Landscaping for Swanway Crescent Residence
Innovative Product of the Year
Winner: The Green Life Soil Co. for Charlie Charcoal
Designer – Residential up to 250m2
Winner: Principal Pools + Landscapes for Seaward Loop Project
Finalist: Outside In for Federation St
Designer – Residential 250m2 to 500m2
Winner: Tim Davies Landscaping for Venice Entrance Residence
Finalist: eScape Landscape Architecture for Grosvenor Resort
Designer – Residential over 500m2
Winner: Mondo Landscapes for La Riviera
Finalist: Tim Davies Landscaping for Pindarie Road Residence
Contractor – Residential up to $75,000
Winner: Tim Davies Landscaping for Daglish Street Residence
Contractor – Residential $75,000 to $150,000
Winner: Principal Pools + Landscapes for Seaward Loop Project
Finalist: Tim Davies Landscaping for St Columbas Avenue Residences
Contractor – Residential over $150,000
Winner: Tim Davies Landscaping for Swanway Crescent Residence
Finalist: eScape Landscape Architecture for Hensman Cottage
Contractor – Commercial/Civic up to $500,000
Winner: Deep Green Corporation for Aria Apartments
Finalist: Landscapes WA for Landscapes WA Display
Contractor – Commercial/Civic $500,000 to $1 million
Winner: PHASE3 Landscape Construction for White Gum Valley Stage 1
Finalist: PHASE3 Landscape Construction for Scarborough (Whale Playground) Lottery West Sponsored
Contractor – Commercial/Civic over $1 million
Winner: Deep Green Landscaping for Optus Stadium
Finalist: MG Group WA for Rio Tinto Naturescape Kings Park Stage 2
Sustainable Landscape Project – Residential
Winner: Bobtail Landscaping for The Old Church
Sustainable Landscape Project – Commercial
Winner: PHASE3 Landscape Construction for White Gum Valley
Best Special Feature – Built Feature
Winner: Deep Green Corporation for Whitford City Shopping Centre Vertical Garden
Finalist: LD Total for Sienna Wood Feature Park & Dog Park
Best Special Feature – Landscape Lighting
Winner: MG Group WA for Midland Railway Square
Finalist: Landscapes WA for Yard Lighting
Best Artistic Feature – Sculpture/Screens
Winner: MG Group WA for Rio Tinto Naturescape Kings Park Stage 2
Best Special Feature – Landscape Lighting
Winner: MG Group WA for Midland Railway Square
Finalist: Landscapes WA for Yard Lighting
Best Built Feature – Water Feature/Pools/Ponds Best Built Feature – Seating/Fencing/Structure/Paving/Poured Concrete/Cladding
Winner: MG Group WA for Yagan Square – Water Features
Finalist: Tim Davies Landscaping for View Terrace Residence
Best Built Feature – Seating/Fencing/Structure/Paving/Poured Concrete/Cladding
Winner: Principal Pools + Landscapes for Pipe Seat
Finalist: MG Group WA for Scarborough Beach Skate Park
Maintenance – Residential
Winner: Tim Davies Landscaping for Kingsland Avenue Residence
Maintenance – Commercial
Winner: Tim Davies Landscaping for St Georges Terrace Project
Images Credited To The Following:
Webb & Brown-Neaves
Tim Davies Landscaping