Community Design, Guymer Bailey, Landscape Architecture, Sustainability
Guymer Bailey
Guymer Bailey Landscape Wins 2017 AILA QLD ...
Guymer Bailey Landscape Wins 2017 AILA QLD AWARD!
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Student Work | Rachel Hur

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Part Two of our student work showcase is the work of recent graduate Rachel Hur. Rachel has just completed her Masters of Architecture at Melbourne University. 

'The Wall'

This semester was 4 months of research and design to come up with a final design proposal for my independent thesis project. The project was for a transitional facility in Ararat. The brief was for 20 residential living units, with a few programs spaces (library, recreational space and communal kitchen) and staff areas (interview rooms, pharmacy and office areas).

3D render: Rachel Hur

No facility within Australia exists for those transitioning from prison to society. This thesis demonstrates that a design with the form and function of walls can allow for this transition. The design utilizes a singular, curved wall that creates spatial moments which in its concave and convex forms articulate different levels of transition. The design overlays a gradient over the selected site as an abstraction of the journey of transition. The element of the wall plays on the perimeter wall, a typical boundary of a prison. In everyday residencies, there are many forms of permeable and solid property boundaries, thus the wall is present in both instances of penitentiary and residential typologies.

Plan: Rachel Hur

This design proposes a gradient within the program as well, allowing residents of the facility different degrees of control and choice through the varying spaces. This project unites both elements of wall and gradient to explore the spatial journey from imprisonment to freedom.

3D render: Rachel Hur

“The form and function of singular, curved wall creates a transitional journey from incarceration to freedom.”
— Rachel Hur

3D render: Rachel Hur

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Student Work | Justine Lenkiewicz

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This week we will be showcasing some of the amazing work that our students have produced throughout the year. First up is Justine Lenkiewicz's studio work, as well as her Tower Project. 

BOOMHouse Studio

BOOMFlat Sectional Perspective linework FINAL

PROJECT BRIEF: BOOMHouse Studio explored a share-house typology as a solution to the aged care crisis currently facing Australia. Throughout the semester, a range of housing scales were explored. The final project was a single house occupying one lot that would address the needs of four Baby Boomer couples who have decided to live together in a single share-house scenario. The focus throughout the semester was largely on combining facilities, child care and medical support, and providing appropriate dignified, private accommodation as needed; in order to encourage the integration of young seniors back into the larger community, and ensure their contribution and relevance to society is maintained. The final aim was to provide options that were spatially efficient, functionally desirable, affordable and attractive, in the context of the world’s most liveable city, Melbourne.

CONCEPT: My aim was to take a universal approach so that people of all backgrounds, shapes and sizes could have equal access to all the spaces. I employed a single-storey concept with a variety of communal spaces, and shared facilities. Creating layers of privacy was important to cater to individual personality types and needs, as well as to buffer the highly active zones from the more passive zones of the house. Bedrooms were designed to all be equal in size, orientation and access to daylight. A series of vertical strip windows and brick penetrations in the north facade allow dappled light to filter into the rooms throughout the day while keeping heat gain minimal. The presence of the existing tree resulted in a courtyard space that allowed the building to huddle around the tree. This formed an introverted shape with little nooks for reading, private study, and a small kitchenette. The lightwell corridor is something I carried on throughout my projects in this studio. It stems from the concept of changing light and shadow symbolising transitional spaces. The corridor becomes the moment the residents transition between the passive house and the active house.

The corridor in the BOOMFlat project behaves as the buffer zone between the bedroom and the open plan living spaces. In addition to creating a physical separation between the areas, it also houses the laundry facilities and the study zone adding further layers of privacy. Passing through an external threshold leads to the “active” house. Orienting the building to the north and pushing it to southern boundary enabled the creation of a large northern outdoor courtyard and for the spaces to sprawl out and become a lot more extroverted in contrast to the passive side. An open plan arrangement, coupled with the use of generous glazing and sliding doors allows enables fluid movement between the spaces and encourages social activity as boundaries are blurred.

Using a raked ceiling allows the spaces to visually extend out to appear bigger and allow pleasant wintery sun to come through while blocking out harsh summer sun. White brick veneer has been used for its solid, timeless quality; thermal mass benefits and it’s unique production history in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. The skylight level uses a lightweight blueboard cladding material with a white rendered texture finish to blend in with the rest of the building. Extended parapet walls allow the “brick wall” to become a main feature of the house. A darker ‘monument’ colour for the roofing creates a simple contrast in colours.

Timber batten screening is used to delineate spaces such as the carport - which creates a visual barrier from the front of the street and also provides shading from the western sun – as well as the dry court from the outdoor dining area.

Turbine Tower

PROJECT BRIEF: The European Cultural Capital program is an initiative to promote the diversity of European Cultures within member states, instill a sense of belonging in Europeans, and foster contribution of culture to the development of cities. A strong focus on local and community involvement saw Leeuwarden surpass much bigger cities, such as Amsterdam and Eindhoven, in their bid for the European Cultural Capital 2018. These core values combine to create the overarching ‘Iepen Mienskip’ (open community) theme for the 2018 program. The city will host the program for one year. The program is viewed as an opportunity, not only for the city, but also the province of Friesland, to generate cultural, social and economic benefit that will help foster urban regeneration and boost awareness and tourism by raising it’s profile on an international scale.

Our brief was to create a series of design interventions for sites in and around the city, in anticipation of the program and the level of traffic it will bring. The site for my project was the Blokhusipoort, a thriving hub of small creative businesses that will soon house the city’s library and a youth hostel. Since it was transformed from a prison in 2007, the inhabitants of the unique precinct have created a strong identity within the community. Today, the complex houses 130 small creative companies, a theatre, the popular Cafe de Bak, Frisian Design Factory, and the Headquarters for Leeuwarden 2018.

The Turbine Tower site intervention looks towards 2040 with a longer-term solution for the site, when Leeuwarden has reaped the cultural and economic benefits of hosting the Cultural Capital and has become a gained international recognition and the Blokhuispoort has become a landmark tourist destination for people visiting Friesland.

CONCEPT: The Turbine Tower aims to become an iconic radio communications tower, in the heart of Leeuwarden City, following it’s successful run of the European Cultural Capital Program. It is as once a point of connection and wayfinding, exhibition of materiality and history, and cultural symbolism of the core ‘iepen mienskip’ (open community) values that create the overarching theme of the year long festival, taking place in Leeuwarden, Friesland in 2018.

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2017 Art Show Recap

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Guymer Bailey Brisbane came alive on Friday night when we once again opened our doors to clients, consultants, friends, family and the community for a night of Art. Paintings, sculptures and photography were proudly displayed by the staff who created them, along with the series of Kandinsky artworks that had been made the week prior in afternoon Art Class.

Over $1000 was raised on the night through the sale of entry and raffle tickets, donations made directly to our fundraising page and through the sale of donated artworks. All funds raised are donated directly to Hear and Say – a not-for-profit organisation that supports children with hearing loss to listen and speak so that they can attend regular school, have wider career choices and can more fully participate in their community.

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ART SHOW SPONSORS // our amazing sponsors who made Friday night possible.

Prize donations from -
Medusa Hair Studio
Kingspan
Allegion
BONDOR
LIGHT AND DESIGN GROUP
Sassi at Toowong
MJS Floorcoverings
Enware Australia Pty Ltd
ALAN INNES

And to those who donated directly to our Everyday Hero page for Hear and Say -
Greg Killen – Greg Killen Consulting Engineers
Cameron Gorrie – Building Certifiers Australia
Greg Hamilton – Hdesign
Nerada Spellacy – Guymer Bailey Architects
Suzanne Goodson – Guymer Bailey Architects
Chris Collins – Taking Shape, Toowong

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Under Construction: Ferny Hills Aquatic Centre

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Under Construction: Ferny Hills Aquatic Centre

Guymer Bailey Architects has designed the new Ferny Hills Aquatic Centre Program Pool, which replaces the old 25-metre pool. The design integrates with the existing facilities by using simple low maintenance and durable finishes that can be brought through to the planned splash pad area. 

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Rob Waddell to Present at QLD Awards Showcase

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Guymer Bailey's Principal Landscape Architect, Rob Waddell will be presenting at the AILA QLD awards showcase this Thursday!

Hear from Rob Waddell, Guymer Bailey Landscape on the details of the project: Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve at the upcoming Awards Showcase on Thursday 3 August in Brisbane. Register online at www.aila.org.au/qldevents 

The jury comments: the project represents a a highly successful collaboration between landscape architect and architect, where the outcome is a seamlessly integrated nature tourism facility. The Landscape Architect’s engagement with traditional owners shows respect to cultural and environmental values of the site. The landscape design greatly enhances the visitor experience to the site, unifying the building with the surrounding rainforest and is a worthy recipient of a Landscape Award.

The Awards Showcase will be held over breakfast and feature 3 award winners speaking on their projects.

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Guymer Bailey Landscape Wins 2017 AILA QLD AWARD!

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Last night, our Principal Landscape Architect, Rob Waddell, accepted the AILA Qld Tourism 2017 Award for the landscape design of the Mary Cairncross Scenic Discovery Centre at Maleny on behalf of the team! Well done to all who were involved! 

AILA Jury citation:

"Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve represents a highly successful collaboration between landscape architect and architect, where the outcome is a seamlessly integrated nature tourism facility. The Landscape Architect’s engagement with traditional owners shows respect to cultural and environmental values of the site. The landscape design greatly enhances the visitor experience to the site, unifying the building with the surrounding rainforest and is a worthy recipient of a Landscape Award".

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT

The new Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) elevates tourism and education in the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands. It nestles on the edge of the Reserve’s subtropical rainforest and overlooks exceptional Glasshouse Mountain views. The RDC includes a new café and discovery centre where visitors to can learn about the Reserve’s remnant rainforest in its living museum of diverse flora and fauna, even various endangered species.

The RDC’s integrated design captures the natural rainforest setting and the Glasshouse Mountains view-shed by intimately and visually displaying them. Visitors thus experience such environmental, cultural and scenic dimensions. The landscape design essentially connects the user to these dimensions, by blurring the line between inside and outside and reinforcing the Reserve’s character. The landscape experience is two-fold:

Glasshouse Mountains

•   The rainforest boardwalk reaches the rooftop viewing terrace, its large seating platform, and its vine-covered arbor forms inspired by the Glasshouse Mountain landscape.

•   The raised outdoor dining space of the new café offers an ideal vantage point to enjoy the uniqueness of the Glasshouse Mountains.

Rainforest

•   The landscape ‘situates’ the building in the rainforest. Basalt stone walls reach out from the building like buttresses to promote rainforest views.

•   The building’s influence on the natural environment is softened with screening and vegetation.

•   The rainforest boardwalk, courtyard spaces and meandering pathways allow visitors to ‘experience’ the Rainforest without having to access the walking tracks, particularly those with limited time or different ability.

  • Landscape spaces mimic the micro-environs of the Reserve to extend the habitat of the Reserve’s fauna.

  • The RDC’s landscape opens the Reserve’s walking tracks so visitors may ‘converse’ with the Rainforest.

  • The landscape design supports the interpretive function of the RDC, with signage and natural displays.

THE DESIGN APPROACH

The landscape design is intentionally adaptable which allowed modifications to cater for unforeseen natural obstructions that arose during construction (e.g., buttress tree roots or large woody vines). The layout thus incorporated easily manipulated natural patterns and organic forms. Such modifications also ensured significant vegetation was protected without compromising the overall landscape design intent.

This approach was also applied successfully to the rainforest boardwalk design including its landings supported by single columns. This boardwalk was re-routed on-site to avoid the structural root-zones of existing trees. The column footings were also vacuum-excavated to prevent damage to trees roots.

Designing the project meant thorough community consultation so that the views of the local community, previous management committees, and the Jinabara were fully considered. Design partners included a local architect, placemaking consultants, the indigenous community, and the client Council. Landscape, architecture and interpretation cohesively achieved a holistic design. This collaboration motivated the success of the project’s outcomes.

The RDC edifies visitors on the rainforest to ensure the natural assets are appreciated and respected. The landscape design also provides an undercover outdoor seating terrace where the Reserve’s volunteers can educate students and tourists. The landscape design equitably accommodates all demographics and abilities. The Centre fully complies with access requirements ensuring all visitors can experience both the Rainforest and mountain views.

The landscape design minimises adverse environmental impacts, promotes conservation, and enhances nature-based tourism by implementing the following sustainable outcomes:

•  Using only endemic plant species; many were grown from seed collected within the Reserve.

•   Providing habitat by reflecting the Reserve’s natural environs. The design incorporates important habitat plant species, such as the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Vine, haven for the endangered butterfly.

•   No imported topsoil or mulch was used (i.e., no weeds and pathogens will follow).

•   Materials were sourced locally (e.g., concrete aggregate, stonework, timber) and/or site-salvaged (i.e., boulders and weathered logs). Timbers from existing building were repurposed as structural columns and screens.

•   The design team consulted the project arborist so that the existing cleared land footprint endured and existing vegetation altered minimally.

•   More than 200 reptiles and wildlife were relocated prior to construction. The existing man-made pond was retained because its critical habitat for the endangered ‘tusked frog’.

•   The stormwater-drainage design simulates natural systems to improve the site’s natural hydrology. Sustainable water management involved storage, bio-filtration and natural swales to direct flows.

NATURE-BASED TOURISM

Nature-based tourism is key to Queensland’s $23 billion tourism industry; the RDC’s redevelopment will greatly influence Sunshine Coast’s nature-based tourism by showcasing the Reserve’s natural beauty while preserving it for future generations.

The new facility is predicted to increase the Reserve’s 200,000 annual visitation. This will benefit Maleny’s local economy and tourism providers. The site-planning and landscape design emphasises the relationship between the cafe and the interpretive space. Revenues derived from such cross-patronage from donations, lease fees, and merchandise/educational product sales promises reinvestment to the Reserve.

The building of the RDC created 261 jobs during construction; 92% for locally-based, Sunshine Coast employees.

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Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Discovery Centre Officially Opens

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After more than 3 years of collaboration, consultation, design, documentation and construction, the new Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Discovery Centre has officially opened! Guymer Bailey Architects and Guymer Bailey Landscape worked in collaboration with local Maleny designer Norman Richards; interpretative consultant, Focus Productions & Hutchinson Builders to create this wonderful tourism attraction and educational resource for Maleny and the Sunshine Coast. 

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Eumundi Markets Terraces Upgrade - Construction Commences

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Guymer Bailey Landscape is excited to see construction under way to upgrade the popular Eumundi Market Terraces. The project will enhance the aesthetics and function of this important community space, while safeguarding the site's significant vegetation, including the large heritage Fig trees. Watch this space!