Double Win for The Oval at Subi East at the 2025 AILA National Awards
Photo by Miles Noel
The Oval at Subi East received an Award of Excellence for Cultural Heritage and a Landscape Architecture Award for Civic Landscape at the 2025 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) National Landscape Architecture Awards this week.
Designed by UDLA with OCULUS, the project has transformed the former Subiaco Oval into a series of community-focused public open spaces. These include a reimagined oval with community sports facilities, a new playground, and a parkour course – all connected by the Noongar-led Six Seasons Bidi.
This has been a true team effort – shared with OCULUS, our client DevelopmentWA, Barb Bynder and Farley Garlett from Karrda (the Aboriginal Development Manager), and of course our wider team. We've been fortunate to work on the project since 2019 – beginning with the business case, followed by the masterplan for the full 35-hectare site, then The Oval (which these awards recognise), and now progressing into the next stages, including the 1909 Precinct (the former PMH site).
A big thank you to the entire project team, and to AILA and the jurors – this recognition means a great deal to us.
The jury said the project has “transformed the historic oval into a green space for future community life while celebrating the site’s cultural legacy.”
“The Oval at Subi East is a benchmark in culturally-led landscape design, reconnecting people, Country and place. Developed in close collaboration with the Whadjuk Elders Reference Group and Aboriginal Development Managers as equal partners, the project embeds Noongar knowledge across interpretive landscape design, public art, planting selection, and Aboriginal business opportunities. Trails and green links connect heritage and community, celebrating the deep social significance of Subiaco Oval. With a focus on sustainability and reuse, the project creates inclusive, engaging spaces that honour diverse heritages while fostering long-term trust and establishing a model for collaborative cultural design.”
