What Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects does

Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects is an Australian professional services firm specialising in the design of outdoor children's environments, operating under the brand 'Architects of Arcadia' from its headquarters in Arcadia, New South Wales. The practice delivers landscape architecture and play space design services across three core project categories: public parks and playgrounds for government clients, school and childcare centre outdoor learning environments, and commercial/institutional landscapes including healthcare, aged care, and zoo projects. Its technical differentiation centres on Universal Design principles for inclusive play, evidenced by proprietary frameworks including the Nature Play Mantra (10-element framework), the Tennis Racquet Spatial Model for wayfinding, and original research such as the Mulch Trial (testing critical fall height safety with plants in mulch) and the Waverley Inclusive Play Space Study.

The firm operates a project-based professional services model generating revenue through consulting fees on landscape architecture commissions, with supplementary IP assets including the Get Centered blog, Ready Reckoner cost calculator, and published articles that function as both thought leadership and demand generation. Its go-to-market is direct sales-led, with client acquisition driven by industry reputation, repeat engagements (including a 15+ year relationship with Arcadia Public School), competitive tendering for government contracts, and referrals through industry bodies (AILA, Parks & Leisure Australia, Kidsafe). Founder Fiona Robbé's seat on the Standards Australia CS005 committee, contributing to the AS 4685 series and AS/NZS 4422 standards published in 2021, positions the firm as an embedded technical authority shaping sector regulation. The practice serves clients across all mainland Australian states (NSW, WA, VIC, QLD, SA, ACT) despite a lean team of approximately five staff including two directors, landscape architects, a graduate architect, an administrator, and an industrial designer.

Name

Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects

Legal name

Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects

Website

https://architectsofarcadia.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects is an Australian landscape architecture practice specialising in inclusive playground and outdoor children's environment design. The firm serves government councils, schools, childcare centres, healthcare providers, and commercial clients across Australia, applying Universal Design principles and contributing to national playground standards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Landscape Construction Project Management & General Contracting (HSAIABAK)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Playground design services
• Inclusive play design
• Public park design
• Childcare outdoor design

Headquarters

HQ city

Arcadia

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Services: Professional landscape architecture services for design of outdoor children's environments including public playgrounds, school play areas, childcare centre outdoor spaces, and commercial projects. Revenue generated through project-based consulting fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects is an Australian landscape architecture practice specializing in the design of outdoor children's play environments. The firm delivers professional landscape architecture services for public playgrounds, school play areas, childcare centre outdoor spaces, commercial sites, hospitals, and aged care facilities, with deep specialization in inclusive and nature-based play design. Projects span parks, schools, childcare centres, and commercial developments across New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and the ACT.

Product overview

Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects is a landscape architecture practice specialising in the design of outdoor children's play environments. The core offering consists of landscape architecture and playground design services delivered across three main project categories: Parks (public playgrounds for government), Schools & Childcare Centres, and Commercial projects. The practice also produces supplementary intellectual property products including the Get Centered blog (a content platform offering childcare centre outdoor design ideas), the Ready Reckoner (a cost-calculation tool for childcare centre outdoor areas), the Inclusive Play Space Study (a design principles framework published for Waverley Council), the Nature Play Mantra (a 10-element design framework), and the Mulch Trial research publication. Additionally, the practice contributes to industry literature through book chapters and magazine articles. These offerings collectively form a service-led practice with associated publications, tools, and research that support and promote inclusive, nature-based play space design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parks Playground Design Landscape architecture design of public playgrounds for local and state government authorities, creating community play spaces with inclusive and nature-play elements. Includes project work for councils such as Blacktown City Council, City of Sydney, Waverley Council, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, and City of Nedlands.
• Schools and Childcare Centre Design Specialised outdoor learning environment design for schools, preschools, and long daycare centres, including sandpits, nature play areas, timber structures, and sensory gardens. Past clients include Arcadia Public School, Kellyville Public School, Samuel Gilbert Public School, Frensham School, Lady Gowrie Child Care Centre, and Goodstart Childcare.
• Commercial Landscape Design Landscape and playspace design for commercial clients including hospitals, aged care facilities, resorts, churches, and community centres. Past clients include Children's Hospital Westmead, Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital, Mount Druitt Hospital, Salvation Army, and Animal Welfare League NSW.

Quantifiable outcome

• Critical fall height of 6.2m achieved with plants in 300mm deep mulch fall zones
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Touched By OliviaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultant partner organization, likely involved in inclusive play space advocacy and design collaboration
• Andrew Smith Timber CreationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaborator on timber playground elements including custom cubbies, sandpit sieves, and nature play structures. Multiple projects including Halvorsen Park, Samuel Gilbert PS, and North Sydney Family Day Care cubby projects.
• OzbreedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlant breeder and researcher partner collaborating on Mulch Trial research. Worked on testing non-woody plants in playground mulch. Also collaborated on Landscape News interview about playground-friendly plants.
• The Hills Bark BlowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape supplier partner collaborating on Mulch Trial research and playground surfacing projects
• AcoustoscanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTesting laboratory partner for Mulch Trial research, conducting critical fall height testing in accordance with AS/NZS:4422 1996
• Synthetic Grass & Rubber SurfacescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurface specialist partner for playground projects including Halvorsen Park rubber artwork and various synthetic grass installations
• 2Barrows Polished ConcreteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcrete work partner for playground projects
• KidsafecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaborator on playground tours and industry advocacy. Jointly runs playground tours with AILA and PLA.
• Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional institute collaboration including joint playground tours, KIDSCAPE events, and awards programs
• Parks & Leisure AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry body collaboration including joint awards programs and conference presentations
• Standards AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation on CS005 committee contributing to playground standards development including AS4685 series and AS/NZS 4422
• Turf Design StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHead consultant on Sydney Park Bike Track project where firm served as resident play experts
• OcculusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Gledswood Town Centre commercial project
• ContextminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Headland Park project at Wentworth Point
• Kate BishopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaborator and co-author on 'Designing cities with children and young people' book chapter. Previous collaboration on Lucas Gardens Special School project.
• Fuse ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on KCCS childcare project in Arncliffe
• Kaunitz Yeung ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Belrose Child Care Centre project
• Fox JohnstonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on South Sydney Hospital Site project in Zetland

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hassell: Major Australian architecture and design practice with integrated landscape architecture capability. Comparable as it competes for public-realm and institutional landscape commissions, but with much broader portfolio spanning architecture, interiors, and urban design.
• Aurecon: Global engineering and infrastructure advisory with landscape architecture capability across Australasia. Comparable as it competes for government and institutional landscape briefs, but typically delivers as part of larger multidisciplinary infrastructure projects.
• AECOM: Global design and engineering firm with substantial landscape architecture practice in Australia. Comparable in serving council, transport, and institutional landscape clients, but with a vastly larger team and broader multidisciplinary capability.
• GHD: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with significant Australian landscape and urban design practice. Comparable as it competes for council, transport, and institutional landscape commissions, though as part of a full-service engineering offering.

Direct peers

• Oculus (NZ): New Zealand landscape architecture firm collaborating with the subject firm on Gledswood Town Centre project. Comparable boutique landscape architecture practice serving public and commercial clients in Australasia with similar project-based service model.
• Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL): One of Australia's leading landscape architecture firms with deep public-realm and park design portfolio. Comparable in serving council and institutional clients with award-winning play, park, and cultural landscape projects, though at significantly larger scale.
• ASPECT Studios: Australian landscape architecture practice of comparable scale with portfolio spanning public realm, parks, and urban regeneration. Comparable to Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects in offering professional landscape design services to government and institutional clients across Australia.
• Turf Design Studio: Melbourne-based landscape architecture studio; Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects served as resident play experts on Turf's Sydney Park Bike Track project. Comparable in delivering integrated play and park design across Australia, with overlapping institutional client base.
• Context Landscape Design: Australian landscape architecture firm collaborating with the subject firm on Headland Park at Wentworth Point. Comparable in scale and service offering, providing landscape architecture to public and mixed-use developments.

Emerging players

• Kaunitz Yeung Architecture: Sydney-based architecture practice collaborating with the subject firm on the Belrose Child Care Centre project. Comparable as an adjacent design professional services firm partnering with the subject on integrated childcare landscape and built-form commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/fiona_robbe_l_architects
• Facebookfacebook.com/fionarobbe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fiona-robbe-landscape-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/fiona_robbe_l_architects
• Pinterestpinterest.com.au/fionarobbe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects