A sleek floating boardwalk and lookout on a rocky knoll at developer Villawood Properties’ Rathdowne, shortlisted in this year’s Planning Institute of Australia awards, highlights the possibilities of design highlighting with Indigenous and heritage elements.

With views as far as the Melbourne CBD and taking in local waterways and surrounding landscapes, the lookout is an exemplar of touch-the-earth-lightly engineering, and a striking celebration of an important Wurundjeri meeting place.

Rising alongside the entrance to the 1000-lot Rathdowne, as well as the UDIA Great Place-awarded Club Rathdowne, the boardwalk/lookout has been expertly engineered with a bespoke steel frame sitting atop in-situ rocks, leaving insects, reptiles, small animal habitats and grasses and shrubs undisturbed.

Villawood’s team workshopped the project with Wurundjeri elders and developed the innovative no-ground-disturbance design to accommodate the hill’s challenging stony topography.

The boardwalk features a viewing platform with seating, offering a stunning panorama and a welcoming space for reflection and connection. It bridges the past and present, preserving the site’s heritage, protecting significant artefacts and honouring its history as a traditional meeting place.

The Planning Institute of Australia has recognised the project, shortlisting it for its 2025 Planning with Country award.