It was vacant land – now it is a community.

And the South Australian developers who transformed the parcels of land in Adelaide’s outer metropolitan suburbs into burgeoning housing developments have been awarded for their work.

Developer Lanser won two awards at last month’s Urban Development Institute of Australia (SA) awards.

They won for best residential development for its Clover Park housing development in Mount Barker, and another for best masterplanned development for their work on the Miravale development at Angle Vale.

Lanser’s senior project director, Gerald Ward, said the win for Clover Park was “recognition of our work over many years”.

Just three minutes from Mount Barker’s town centre and six minutes from the freeway, the housing development includes a childcare centre, local parks and playgrounds and space for shops.

“We started this work when it was vacant land, and now it’s a community,” Ward said.

“We had to really consider the site and its opportunities. Clover Park was quite a sloping site which can make building cost-effectively a challenge.

“So, our urban design and our lot orientation was specifically mapped out and designed to make the most of the typography and the connectivity of the site to other parts of Mount Barker.”

Ward said Mount Barker was a growth corridor and the development brought new residents to the town.

“This brings scale to the existing businesses in Mount Barker and they make them more profitable and make the community stronger because of it.”

Lanser’s Clover Park development was named South Australia’s best ‘Residential Development’ for 2022 by the Urban Development Institute of Australia.

Lanser’s senior development manager, Sam Wearing-Smith, said a broad team of engineers, architects and surveyors had been working on the Miravale development for about five years.

The housing development boasts ample-sized housing blocks that are nestled among parks and walking trails.

Wearing-Smith said it was “incredible” to be recognised as Miravale was one of the state’s most successful housing projects.

“Rather than just square layouts and small blocks, it’s got larger allotments and the roads meander throughout the development in a natural and flowing way,” Wearing-Smith said.

“The main road of the development faces towards the Gawler Ranges, so essentially everywhere you are has a view to the ranges.

“There was an incredible amount of thought that went into that, and it makes everything feel that much bigger and more spacious.”

Wearing-Smith said Lanser puts a great deal of consideration into residents’ access to local parks.

“Everybody in the development, which is getting close to 1500 allotments now, will be quite close to a significant open space.

“We want everyone to be only a street or two away from open space, at a maximum and all of our reserves are architecturally designed.”

He said the size of the development allowed residents to be nearby local wineries, restaurants and the Angle Vale town centre.

“It’s also got a connection to the Angle Vale sports precinct, the super school which is just up the road and to the expressway which gets you to the city,” Wearing-Smith said.

“The connection between Miravale and the city is as quick as it will ever be and you can get there in under 30 minutes which makes it a really commutable location.

“It’s quite fortunate actually and a lot of people point to those four major things and it just proves it is a spacious and convenient place to be.”