Infrastructure woven into the fabric of place
Like so many expanding regions in Australia, the Sunshine Coast will need the right mix of social, economic and transport infrastructure to grow sustainably while also preserving and enhancing livability.
“The infrastructure needs to be part of the fabric of place – an enriching addition to people’s daily lives,” says Amanda Kershaw, who leads the Rail work at Architectus.
“A thoughtful, practical transport strategy can help achieve that, naturally shifting the focus from car travel to public transport in a way that makes journeys around the region easier and more enjoyable for everyone.”
She points out that many of the Sunshine Coast’s main hubs have been laying these foundations for success over many years.
For example, the Caloundra Centre Master Plan – developed with Architectus Conrad Gargett – drew on the proven successes and unique features of the area to chart a path toward more holistic development. Since then, Caloundra has seen significant change, growing into a dynamic economy and tourism destination.
Buildings and spaces in tune with the climate
Across the region, infrastructure for vital community needs performs best when it embraces the unique beauty and advantages of the Sunshine Coast’s subtropical climate.
The Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) – designed by Architectus Conrad Gargett in collaboration with HDR – blends buildings with landscape, seamlessly linking inside to out.
Emerging as an exemplar for sustainability-led health care design shaped by the local and coastal setting, it became the largest public health facility in Australia to achieve a 6-star Green Star rating.
Sunshine Coast University Hospital
Principal and project leader Dr Stephen Long, said the team wanted to create “a world-class hospital with an environment that’s welcoming, familiar, and conveys a sense of belonging on the Sunshine Coast.”
In their announcement for the hospital’s FDG Stanley Award for Public Architecture and Karl Langer Award for Urban Design in 2017, the Queensland State Architecture Awards jury called it an “exemplary” facility that “strives for local use and social engagement through the clearly defined provision of green corridors, public outdoor spaces and community infrastructure.”
SCUH was “one of Australia’s largest constructions on a green-field site crafted into the surrounding coastal landscape, genuinely belonging to its place and community,” the jury added.
The hospital and the Sunshine Coast Health Institute both featured in the Sunshine Coast Council’s 2020 book designed to inspire and guide great architecture and urban design in the region.
Design that supports good growth
Beyond significant public buildings, the principles behind subtropical design can have a positive impact on the residential and commercial developments the region needs to expand.
Designing the first stage of the M1 Apartments and retail complex in Maroochydore, Architectus Conrad Gargett conceived an architectural solution capitalising on the climate and lifestyle while also contributing to the streetscape and urban design philosophy of the council.
Today, Architectus continues to collaborate on projects supporting healthy growth on the Sunshine Coast, including a new P-12 school and master plan for the emerging community of Aura, designed to respond to the new town centre and surrounding environment.
A large part of the site is devoted to ‘wild spaces’ – landscape that will be regenerated as coastal heathlands to form outdoor learning areas and a ‘green heart’ to the campus.
Projects like this demonstrate how genuine collaboration, smart planning, and contextual, climate-responsive design can protect and enhance what we know and love about the Sunshine Coast now and into the future.
