Celebrating our 40th year in business is a perfect time for reflection – on the challenges, the successes and the integral relationships we have built along the way.  These relationships have become like an extended family and have contributed to the quality of the places we create and our business’s ongoing strength and sustainability.

Darren Taitoko, Director of Landsite, a professional services firm specialising in Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, and Site Planning, has worked with Intrapac for over 20 years. He recounts below how our two companies came together and built a mutually rewarding relationship that has stood the test of time and delivered outstanding outcomes for all.

This magnificent Moreton Bay Fig is in the Banyan Hill development.  Landsite have been instrumental in the retention and protection of this heritage tree, ensuring it continues to be a monument in the community landscape for generation to come.

What services does Landsite provide to Intrapac?

Throughout our association with Intrapac, the core focus of our services has been landscape architecture. We usually get involved with landscape master planning, including designing streetscapes, open space networks and parks, waterways and wetlands. We periodically get involved with the urban design, working with either an architect, a specialist urban designer, or project engineers to form a team to work through the overall planning and design of the estate.

How did the relationship between Landsite and Intrapac get started?

It started with a referral in 1999 or 2000. An arborist I had worked with in the late 1980s, back in my council days at the old City of Prahran (Melbourne), was working for Intrapac on several projects and put our name forward to assist with landscape delivery.

For our first project, we were appointed to work on an existing Intrapac Community, Parkside Estate in Churchill Park, to assist with finalising the landscape design and facilitate the handover to council. From there Intrapac continued to invite Landsite to be involved with another landscape project, and so forth. Our second or third project with Intrapac, Lorikeet Ridge in Frankston South, was awarded the UDIA Victoria Environmental Excellence Award in 2002, and the relationship grew from there.

How has the relationship contributed to the long-term success of Landsite?

Intrapac is one of our larger clients. Our workload with them has varied over time according to market cycles associated with residential estate development, but all in all, they’ve been extremely supportive of Landsite. They have always engaged with our ideas for their projects, regularly championed our ideas as the best outcome available in the interest of the project, and actively promoted Landsite as part of the Intrapac team.

The relationship with Intrapac and Landsite began on their Melbourne projects. When we relocated to Byron Bay in 2008 Intrapac were very supportive in continuing the relationship despite the relocation.  Not long after, Intrapac were also working on and delivering residential communities in northern NSW and SE Queensland. As the range of Intrapac projects in northern NSW and SE Queensland increased, so did our partnership. Intrapac were ahead of the game in supporting remote working, a practice that is now more the norm, so the logistics of being located in separate states did not affect our ability to work closely together and continue to build the relationship we have today.  Working for Intrapac across three states has contributed to the increase of our professional networks.

It’s been a very worthwhile relationship, for both parties and one we hope will continue for years to come.

With its waterplay elements, shaded BBQ areas and the magnificent playcurl, Whiterock’s Adventure Playground has quickly become a destination park for families in the Ripley Valley.

What has contributed to the longevity of your working relationship?

It comes down to the fact that there’s a significant level of mutual trust. We rely on each other as entities to bounce ideas and work together to deliver an outcome we’re both proud of. I also think that because it’s been such a long working relationship, it’s almost as if we’ve become family.

Which of your projects with Intrapac was your most rewarding and why?

One of the more memorable projects was the Quay Residential Estate in Torquay. It was quite a different approach for Intrapac at the time, as it was very much design-led and specifically site responsive. The project dealt with a slightly elevated site with potential longviews over Bass Strait. The team worked to orientate streets and position housing so that all dwellings could potentially get a view of the ocean. It was a great project, receiving positive sales outcomes and industry recognition.

Community Park at Quay 2 along with many landscape elements in this award winning community was designed to take in broader views of the community and views of the coast.

In addition, what’s been really enjoyable over time is the diversification of Intrapac to include the delivery of house and land / turnkey housing products –  Avant Townhomes.  This diversification has allowed Landsite to become involved in this smaller-scale work, designing individual gardens for the townhomes alongside the large-scale estate master planning and open space delivery.