By Danielle Davey
When a garden matures, its structural foundations remain largely unaltered while growth fills once-vacant spaces, transforming the outlook. As a metaphor, it aptly applies to Frankston South’s Brett Robinson, founder and creative director of Collingwood landscaping architecture practice Acre. At heart, he’s still the fun-loving, curious, thoughtful person he’s always been; in adulthood, he’s thriving professionally in a career covered with accolades.
Born and raised on the Peninsula, Brett recalls his childhood fondly. “I still clearly remember my parents giving my brother and me our own portion of the garden during the summer holidays. The idea was that we would clean it up, prepare it for planting, design our own layouts, go to the local garden centre to purchase plants, then plant and maintain it throughout the year.
“From a very early age, weekends were spent outdoors building cubby houses, hiding in the bushes playing army games, playing with sticks and riding bikes. I even remember making our own perfume from crushing spring flowers in water. Looking back, those experiences feel like a very early introduction to creativity, care and connection to the landscape.”
Despite the environmental focus continuing at school, Brett imagined he’d become an architect. “I even completed my year 10 work experience at an architecture firm.” After year 12, however, he took a different direction, completing an undergraduate degree in graphic design.
After university, he lived at Cambridge for two years before returning to the Peninsula and reassessing his situation. “I came home feeling uncertain about my direction and whether I had made the right decision with my first degree. Taking a job with a family friend at Beacon Lighting in Frankston, I was given the role of outdoor lighting consultant, attending site meetings and visiting people in their homes to advise on garden and exterior lighting. It was during this time that everything clicked. My previous training, interests and creative instincts aligned, and I made the decision to return to university to complete my masters in landscape architecture.”
This year Acre celebrates 13 years in business, and among the highlights is its award-winning Boutique Garden entry at the 2015 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. “It marked the hard launch of our brand and is still a project I am incredibly proud of,” Brett said. “In many ways, it laid the foundation for where Acre is today.”
Over the years, Acre has worked extensively across the Peninsula. “Some of our most complex projects have been on the back beach dunes, where building pools and structures on sand and in sensitive environments requires careful problem solving. Those challenges often lead to the most rewarding outcomes for clients.
“My background in graphic design has strongly influenced the way we approach projects, helping us generate unique and highly tailored outcomes rather than repeating a particular style.”
Brett and the Acre team are happy to chat by phone or arrange an online meeting to discuss your project needs. Contact Acre at info@acre.com.au, phone 7018 3135, or Instagram @acre.landscape
