4 minute read
MT ARCHER
Mt Archer Treetop Boardwalk & Park
ARCHITECT ROCKHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL, DESIGN+ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY SCOTT BURROWS
Perched in the treetops of Mt Archer, the Treetop Boardwalk and park revitalization conducted by Rockhampton Regional Council and Design+Architecture has ensured that the picturesque mountain-top doesn’t go astray. Capitalising on the location, a local council’s vision has turned a beautiful natural landscape into a go-to picnic, event and tourist locale.
PROJECT CREDITS
Architects Rockhampton City Council, Design+Architecture Location Mt Archer, QLD Photography Scott Burrows Year Completed 2020 The project’s key deliverables include the construction of a new outdoor amphitheatre and elevated boardwalk, as well as a playground for children and picnic facilities for those who want to revel in the park’s views. The 200-seat amphitheatre plays host to a view of Rockhampton and the Fitzroy River, enabling the community to host weddings, fitness classes and local concerts.
The revitalisation of Mt Archer has resulted in an array of tourists utilising the amenity on offer. Social media has drawn plenty of visitors to the site from afar, boosting tourism numbers and justifying the revitalisation program. Public accessibility and sustainability were also crucial components of the design in order to ensure the space would provide spectacular, disability-accessible views with minimal impact on the natural environment. This was achieved with sweeping pathways and sandstone retaining walls that follow Mt Archer’s existing natural contours and negated the need for any local flora to be removed.
Universal design principles are on show with the elevated boardwalk, that is wheelchair-friendly and non-obtrusive, allowing all visitors to fully immerse themselves within the landscape. The existing terrain has remained intact, with the boardwalk only touching the slope when needed. It weaves through the trees like the Mundagara or Rainbow Serpent (Fitzroy River), that lies at the bottom of the mountain.
The boardwalk offers a range of experiences in each section. Various lookouts and informal gathering spaces provide opportunities where locals and tourists can explore, learn and connect with nature and share the many stories of the local region.
The materials have been thoughtfully curated in order to minimise the risk of fire and to increase sustainability and longevity. Concrete was used for the footings, galvanized steel for the balustrades and structure and native ironbark timber for the boardwalk and handrails. To honour the traditional custodians of the land, local indigenous Darumbal art is gently weaved into parts of the balustrading, edged on aluminium and stainless steel.
To complement the amphitheatre and boardwalk, a play-based park featuring a range of natural, indigenous inspired play equipment and abundant outdoor seating were also installed, making Fraser Park a true family-friendly destination. A network of inter-connecting concrete walkways provides easy, disability-accessible access to all features of the park including a new, sustainable amenities block, welcome area, and car park facilities. The Rockhampton Regional Council and Design+Architecture have devised a space where tourists can properly take in the surrounding views, while adding infrastructure that allows for an increase in community events that are a drawcard for local residents and tourists from surrounding areas.
Taking the risk out of door scheduling
From an architectural perspective, doors and openings play a critical role in access, safety and compliance. Yet inadequate consideration of door and opening requirements are common in building projects. Door hardware errors can make up approximately 18-20% of total defects onsite, and are often caused by poor documentation or not following industry standards in terms of compliance.
There are a wide range of door types, designs and options available, each with special features and hardware to achieve a specific purpose. Door types include internal and external doors, fire-rated and smoke doors, accessible (DDA-compliant) doors and acoustic doors.
During the design phase, the architect, contractor, owner, facility manager, and the relevant consultants or stakeholders should be consulted to determine the appropriate products and hardware for any given application. Door schedules are used to present complex information about the different door sizes and types that are specified for a project.
Door scheduling involves complicated nomenclature that requires specialist knowledge to fully grasp. Miscommunication or conflicting requirements make it difficult to specify the right door systems, which can lead to delays in installation, hardware defects, and change orders. There is also the reputational cost associated with these outcomes.
Poor document management almost always leads to costly variations. When door scheduling is done, traditional practice involves the design team extracting all the door and frame parameters out of Revit or ArchiCAD and into Excel. When this occurs, any changes to door or opening solutions become harder to manage as the document becomes static.
Doors and openings are also subject to a range of regulations governing their design, use and performance. Mistakes in door scheduling can expose projects to compliance risks, while the need to replace non-compliant hardware can disrupt already-tight deadlines and cause budget blowouts.
Openings Studio from ASSA ABLOY is a software tool designed to make it easier to define exactly what components a building project requires before, during, and after construction. Integrating with design software such as Autodesk Revit, Openings Studio creates and visualises openings for complete door hardware schedules, allowing you to efficiently build and customise door families, door schedules, and elevation sheets. It can also talk directly to the project’s BIM Model, taking away the guess work as to what compliance solutions are required for the project door by door.
