kangaroo valley 

REALMstudios was engaged to develop a structure plan for a proposed Equine Education Centre/Wedding Venue and cottages set within the broader landscape of a large rural property in Kangaroo Valley. The plan aims to build on the unique rural character of the existing landscape and structures on site and use land-form, vegetation and materiality as a means for enhancing the overall experience of the site.

 

The sequence of arrival and journey becomes critical to the overall experience of place. Deciduous trees are used either as markers framing entries and views, or as a landscape way-finding device guiding visitors through the site. The careful sequencing of space and use creates a range of experiences across the site. An arrival forecourt is defined by copses of trees which provide shade amongst a series of turf mounds set within a deco granite plaza space. An alley of Chinese Elms creates a shaded outdoor room as an extension of the built form as a reception terrace linking an existing cottage to the wedding venue.

 

A watercourse walk extends from the wedding venue along a re-instated creek-line to an expanded water body where a waterside pavilion/deck provides for intimate outdoor events, small gatherings and respite. Careful consideration of way-finding and signage are combined with land-form, swathes of structured plantings and simple mowing regimes to define new pedestrian pathways across the site along with improved legibility, access and overall site experience.