Located south east of Melbourne, the City of Casey Nature Reserves are conservation areas which provide a bushland oasis within a predominantly urban setting.

The strategic objective of this project was to influence the public’s perception of the conservation areas. The public did not understand the importance of the conservation reserves – perceptions needed to change. Our task was to design a solution which would increase awareness, improve understanding of the importance of the reserves, provide location awareness, and improve the publics treatment of the reserves.

The solution creates a visual connection between the urban landscape and the bushland landscape. It is visually interesting and unexpected; complementary to bushland and urban settings in its colour, form and materiality; fulfils identification, location, interpretive, educational and regulatory roles; and is sustainable in its materials and installation. The built form is honest, obvious and simple. The subtle angles present enough ‘design’ to hold a connection to the built urban form around the structures.

Materials included Golden Cypress which in time will weather to a silvery grey colour – leaving bright spots of colour against a flat background – reminiscent of the Australian bush and complementary to the natural environment. Project deliverables included detailed site analysis, location planning, design concept, design development, engineering, specification, documentation, and detailed artwork for a total of eighteen structures over nine locations.

The project has been successful in delivering the desired outcomes of identifying the reserves as significant and worthwhile places in their own right, and providing meaningful information which has educated the public as to the importance of the reserves. An additional benefit is the reduction of signage clutter through consolidating regulatory and safety information.