Veneto East is an entire neighbourhood—138 hectares of mixed-use waterfront precinct—and we were responsible for designing its complete public realm. We worked within a strong urban design framework by Ludvig Fontavlo-Abello, renowned urban designers whose masterplan gave us the structure to work with. That collaboration, alongside a talented project manager on the client side, made possible a public realm with an engaging variety and sequence of urban spaces.
Trees are the primary urban design instrument. We used them spatially, as is our studio practice, to define small and large outdoor rooms, establish sequences of spatial experience, and appropriate degrees of enclosure. Strong bosques anchor the major gathering places. Formal avenues structure the movement corridors. The precinct is designed to the 3-30-300 rule: three trees visible from every home, 30% canopy cover across the neighbourhood, 300 metres maximum to the nearest park.
At the heart of the precinct, a generous community hub opens to the water. The marketplace and weekend promenade draw people out in numbers—a broad, shaded edge for markets, movement, and chance encounter. Beside it, a neighbourhood park with sports courts provides daily life infrastructure. The mosque anchors the composition, and the whole ensemble connects directly to the waterfront promenade network. Large community spaces meeting the water: this is where the neighbourhood gathers.
