Woolacotts are pleased to announce their involvement in the award-winning Warrumbungle National Park Visitors Centre. On the 3rd of July 2020 TKD Architects took out both the Architecture Award in the Sustainability Category and a Commendation for Public Buildings in the NSW chapter of this year’s Australian Institute of Architecture Awards. The awards were judged and announced virtually, with juries reviewing 194 entries and shortlisting 106 projects across 13 categories.

Located 35km west of Coonabarabran in regional NSW, the Warrumbungle National Park Visitors Centre replaces the original facility that was sadly lost to bushfires in January 2013. Boasting a number of flexible outdoor spaces and an architectural design inspired by the park’s volcanic geology, the facility functions as more than just an administration building. Rather, it acts as a place of engagement and memory for the community.

Featured above: Interior of Warrumbungle National Park Visitors Centre

As stated by the juries of the awards:

The challenge of inserting a new built environment within a dramatic and ancient landscape is here realised with apparent ease and respect. In response to the community’s vision and the unique place of the project, the team worked in collaboration with National Parks and the local Aboriginal elder to develop the interpretive aspects of the centre. They have delivered an inviting and beautiful piece of architecture that will help visitors be present in the place. The project is a statement of resilience and rebirth, exemplifying architecture’s role as healer.”

Watch the full NSW Architecture Awards 2020 Virtual Presentation here:

Engineering solutions at Warrumbungle National Park Visitors Centre

Woolacotts were engaged to provide civil, hydraulic and structural services on this project. In keeping with TKD Architects commitment to developing a design that embraces sustainability and reflects the unique place of the project, our team made the following contributions:

• The primary structure of the visitors centre consists of a reinforced concrete slab and footings supporting reinforced block walls on the western side. The remainder of the structure consisted of structural steel columns and secondary framing.

• The roof is predominantly structural steel framed with sloping reinforced concrete slabs and structural steel canopy roofs over the western entries to the building.

• Use of a steel plate awning with regular stiffening fins, designed to provide shading along the western elevation of the centre, over the block wall mounted bench seating.

Woolacotts were proud to be involved in this unique and innovative project. We congratulate the inspiring team at TKD Architects on their success in this year’s AIA Awards.

Featured above: Details of Warrumbungle National Park Visitors Centre

About the Australian Institute of Architects Awards

The Australian Institute of Architects Awards is an annual award that celebrates design excellence in architecture at National, Chapter (State and Territory) and regional levels. The awards promote architects, architecture and innovation in the built environment across a broad range and scale from small to large projects.

Access the complete 2020 awards catalogue here.

To learn more about Woolacotts community infrastructure projects, visit our projects page here.