Turf Design Studio is a Sydney-based landscape architecture practice established in 2011. The studio is recognised for its collaborative, research-driven approach that embeds ecological, cultural, and social values into projects of all scales. Turf partners closely with Indigenous communities, public agencies, and multidisciplinary teams to deliver landscapes that are responsive to place and rich in meaning.
As Emeritus Professor James Weirick observes, “Turf Design Studio has brought the idea and reality of collaborative practice in landscape architecture to new levels of creativity and effectiveness. In response to complex challenges in urban design and ecological design, the Turf team under the leadership of Mike Horne, has reached out to like minded but complementary atelier based practices in Australia and Europe to deliver projects with an energy and elan that has given the term synergy true meaning.”
Notable projects include Sydney Park Water Reuse Project, Central Park Public Domain, Eastern Avenue University of Sydney, Bays Precinct Rezoning, Merrylands Civic Centre, Sydney Place, and Leagues Club Park.
Turf Design Studio’s work has been honoured with numerous national and international awards, including multiple Good Design Awards Australia (2016–2025), AILA National Awards (2022, 2020, 2016, 2006), the Civic Trust Award & Special Award for Sustainability (2018), and the Architecture Masterprize (2016).
In 2021, the practice was named Landscape Design Firm of the Year by the Architecture MasterPrize, recognising its leadership and innovation in contemporary landscape design.
The practice has also been recognised for excellence in urban design, receiving the 2025 Australian Urban Design Award for Built Outcomes for Central Park Public Domain, with Jeppe Aagaard Andersen; the 2021 Australian Urban Design Award for Goyder Square, with Hatch; and the 2016 Australian Urban Design Award for Built Outcomes for Sydney Park Water Reuse Project, with Environmental Partnership. The Australian Urban Design Awards are jointly awarded by the Australian Institute of Architects, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, and the Planning Institute of Australia. These three honours within a decade represent an unprecedented achievement in Australian urban design recognition.
Turf Design Studio sees landscape as a living system—supporting cultural continuity, ecological resilience, and enduring community value.
