A layered place of land, learning, and quiet movement.

Placed within the Skyfields Precinct by Perth Airport lies an unexpected shift in pace. The Kwenda Marlark Wetland Conservation Area invites pause. A network of walking trails winding through natural bushland where bandicoots, frogs, and native flora create a living classroom for community and ecology.

A site of cultural, ecological, and educational value, Kwenda Marlark supports ongoing tree planting programs for local students, blending hands-on learning with care for Country. The wetlands also hold significance for local heritage, offering an important layer of connection between people, place, and practice.

Barbitta was engaged to deliver a series of wayfinding and interpretive design elements across the site. The signage needed to inform without imposing, to sit lightly in the environment, while offering clear guidance and insight. Crafted in laser-cut core ten steel, each marker was designed to weather naturally over time, blending into the landscape while deepening its sense of presence.

Guided by the Orientation, Meaning, and Story tiles of the Barbitta Mosaic™, the approach favoured clarity, permanence, and quiet respect. Signage elements identified flora and fauna, guided movement across the trails, and helped frame the experience through both ecological and cultural context.

The result is a site where interpretation and navigation are integrated into the land itself, careful placement, and stories grounded in place.