With its skate park, all-ages nature playground, BBQs, shade shelters and long tables, the Bremer Bay Town Square is an inclusive community space in the centre of town. Initiated by the Shire of Jerramungup in conjunction with the Bremer Bay community, Lotterywest and the State Government, the project was the result of extensive local input, from the concept design, through to material donation and selection right through to construction.

To design the project, UDLA developed three scenarios, each shaped by input from the community. As part of this process, UDLA facilitated two design workshops with a Community Reference Group, which led to an agreed design for the Town Square, from which the project was further developed and documented for tender. Completed in 2018, the Bremer Bay Town Square continues to be a popular meeting place for locals and visitors alike.

The civic square creates an arrival point for Bremer Bay – serving to orientate visitors to both the town and the region. Located along Bremer Bay’s new main street, the Civic Square has been sited with the long-term view in mind, to create a strong focal point for the town as the new main street continues to develop with local businesses.

The project incorporates multipurpose elements that celebrate local materials and serve as meeting places or playing spaces, as best suits the moment. The materials and structures showcase local rocks and timbers and are employed in ways that are honest and robust, as suitable for a public space in a regional coastal town.

Project Data

Landscape Architecture: UDLA

Client: The Shire of Jerramungup, LotteryWest

Collaborators: Bremer Bay Local Community, Tinka Sack (Landscape Architecture collaborator), Earthcare Landscapes (Contractor), Enlocus (Skate Park Design), Nathan McQuoid (Planting Design), Nature Play Environments/Bernard Kaiser (Playground Design), Jason Reside & Trevor Waite (Structures & Furniture), Albany Formwork, Civic Square Community Reference Group, Skatepark Fundraising Group

Location: John Street, Bremer Bay, Western Australia

Aboriginal Country: Aboriginal Country: Wudjari / Wagyl Kaip Land

Design year: 2014-2017

Year Completed: 2018

Photography: Miles Noel