We sat down with Sector Lead Rail, Amanda Kershaw, to unpack what legacy means for generational infrastructure projects.
The question for Brisbane 2032 is not simply, can we build it? But rather, what are we leaving behind?
As Queensland ramps up for the Olympics, and questions around the games’ legacy for local communities bubble to the fore, the best outcome will be one that facilitates sustained job growth long after the games have wrapped. Transport infrastructure makes up a large stake of the regional investment, with plans to significantly extend the reach of the public transport system and improve existing infrastructure.
Early design decisions can have the greatest impact. As architects, the mindset we can apply to all infrastructure projects is build local: think global. A commonly overlooked opportunity when delivering infrastructure is the role building materials play in the economic legacy of a project. Using local materials and suppliers ensures maintenance and repair work feeds into local trades and small businesses, rather than relying on specialist, external companies.
In Sydney, we got this balance right with the recent completion of the Sydney Metro, already inspiring a new generation of City-Goers through its ambitious and generous public architecture, lauded as ‘legacy making.’
When we delivered Barangaroo Station with Foster + Partners, we specified 2000m2 of local sandstone as an enduring material that reflects the community. The 7766 sandstone panels at the station entry were sourced from a quarry about 50 kilometres north of Sydney.
Across the South East Queensland region, infrastructure for vital community needs performs best when it embraces the unique beauty and advantages of the subtropical climate. Transport is no exception.
When our team designed the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, we understood that climate should be an emphasis. 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.
The combination of functional form and efficient structure, enriched by external screens is recognisable as a distinctive local architectural language. In key public areas, recycled hardwood battens were specified to provide tactility and a natural weathering patina.
