It is a pleasure to receive two awards for Bulwer Avenue Garden, not only for the recognition of a beautiful and functional design, but also for the design’s contribution towards the future of the family, neighbourhood and our future. This is achieved through a focus on biodiversity and urban forest or, as banksia & lime like to call it; a Family Woodland.

Robyn and I have had the profound experience of bidding in 2019 with a team, and being accepted as Creative Directors for the 2020 AILA Festival of Landscape Architecture. The team researched and philosophised deeply on the theme that we proposed, attempting to answer our own questions regarding the future.

We are privileged to live and practice in Western Australia amongst its amazing biodiversity, I feel extra lucky to be able to teach students to see through time, to understand the connected stories of geomorphology, geology, hydrology and vegetation. I do this by taking them on a bushwalk for my Plants and Landscape Systems unit.

A challenging and very rewarding project has been awarded the AILA WA 2020 Award of Excellence: Gardens! Christina says “I have been honoured multiple times on this project: Our local legend Marion Blackwell AM, Landscape Architect, Botanist and Ecologist, recommended me for the planting design; my knowledge was trusted for this special project by the Architect, Beth George, and the clients deeply respected and desired a connection to landscape. Beth George won the AIA WA 2020 Peter Overman Award: Houses, stating "The landscape architect, Christina Nicholson nailed the brief!", and now I am honored to be awarded by the AILA. This Is a shout out to biodiversity and the beautiful Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar In which we live. “