As we wrap up another big year at Orterra, we’ve been reflecting on the people, places and stories that have shaped 2025.
From schoolyards full of imagination to rooftop gardens and community spaces, it’s been a year of creating places people love – and of deepening our relationships with the communities we work alongside.
What You Loved Reading This Year
Our fortnightly blog continues to be a space where we share the thinking, stories and lessons behind our work. In 2025, three posts in particular really resonated with our community:
1. Outdoor Play & Mental Health for Kids and Teens
This article explored how getting outside supports wellbeing, resilience and learning especially for children and young people.
We looked at simple, practical ways schools and families can make outdoor time part of everyday life, from small changes in the schoolyard to rethinking how we use local parks and backyards.
2. The Hidden Blueprint: How Essential Services Shape Landscape Planning
Behind every path, planting bed and play space is an invisible network of power, water and other essential services.
In this post, we took readers behind the scenes to show how these systems quietly influence what’s possible on a site, and how thoughtful planning can turn constraints into opportunities for better design.
3. Plants to Attract Pollinators
This practical guide focused on choosing plants that support bees, butterflies and birds whether you’re designing a school garden, streetscape or backyard.
It’s been wonderful to see how many people are keen to create landscapes that are not only beautiful, but also buzzing with life.
Growing Our Team
One of the highlights of 2025 has been welcoming new faces to the Orterra team. With fresh ideas and extra hands, we’ve been able to take on more projects across education, infrastructure and commercial spaces, support our clients more deeply through each stage of the design process. It also allows us to expand our design thinking, especially around nature play, community engagement and sustainability. It’s been a joy to watch the team grow together, learning from each other, sharing site stories and celebrating the small wins along the way.
Celebrating Wins (and Adding More Colour)
This year we were proud to receive several awards recognising the care and thought that goes into every project.
These acknowledgements are never just about us. They’re shared with the clients, consultants, contractors and communities who walk alongside us from first sketch to finished space. We truly couldn’t do it without you.
Closer to home, we also added a beautiful new painting to the office a daily reminder of the landscapes we love. It’s quickly become a quiet focal point for conversations, ideas and cups of tea, and a small but meaningful way to bring more representation, colour and story into our workspace.
Projects, Play and Plenty of Mud
Some of our favourite moments from 2025 haven’t been in front of a computer at all, but out on site with muddy boots and tape measures in hand.
This year, we’ve especially loved:
- Creating amazing spaces for people – from education and residential projects to commercial and community landscapes.
- Listening to students – spending time in schoolyards, hearing directly from children and young people about how they want to play, learn and connect outside.
- Collaborating with brilliant consultants – working alongside architects, engineers, educators and specialists who share our commitment to thoughtful, sustainable design.
- Getting out on site – walking the land, testing ideas in real time, and watching drawings come to life.
We’ve travelled all over Queensland, and even further afield to New South Wales, Western Australia and Melbourne, to help shape landscapes that reflect local stories, climates and communities. Every place has its own character, and it’s a privilege to help bring that to the surface.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Next year, we’re looking forward to new adventures and projects across education, sports and recreation, commercial and residential spaces. We’re excited to meet new clients and reconnect with familiar faces, and to keep listening, learning and co‑creating with the communities we work with. Above all, we’re committed to continuing to design thoughtful, sustainable landscapes that become places people love.
However you’ve crossed paths with us this year as a client, collaborator, student, family or supporter from afar thank you. We’re deeply grateful for the trust you place in us and the stories you invite us into.
If you would like to chat with us before Christmas to book in your project for next year contact us and we would love to talk!
Wishing you a restful break, and plenty of time outdoors in the places you love.
Warmly,
Debbie & the Orterra team