COMMERCIAL PROJECT – KURRAWA SURF CLUB

This project fulfils the award category requirements firstly being a commercial establishment.

This building being an Iconic building now in Broadbeach and the Gold Coast was a 20 million dollar build to the client. This project from a landscaping award point of view is the epitome of landscaping, the main feature being big beautiful colourful gardens with several super-established feature pandanus palms, not so common in your average commercial landscape. I personally redesigned the gardens, plant sizes and species. Some difficult choices were made given the extremely harsh conditions the surf club is exposed to and of the absolute trudging the public deliver to the surrounds and the café area, as you can see we have had great success with the establishment some 12 months down the track.

Broadbeach being a high tourist area and a very popular holiday-making destination I really wanted visitors, patrons and locals to feel like they were indeed on holidays!

The Architects original plant schedule had only 5 Doryanthes as features to the front of the building (west facing) giving no scale or impact at all. We completely changed this garden to a beautiful sub-tropical delight with established Pandanus all of which were homegrown at our own tree farm in Mudgeeraba and hand selected specifically throughout the entire project.

The architect had selected in the original plant schedule “Pandanus Tectorius “which is failing along the Gold Coast coast line due to the aggressive Leaf hopper and fungus, hence our suggestion to substitute to “Pandanus pedunculatus “a species endemic to the area and less susceptible to the Hopper. Tectorius being more prominent or native to Malesia, Pacific Islands and the highlands of Hawaii.

 If you stand out in the car Park and look back at the front of the building you will notice each Pandanus from South to North or Right to Left has been specifically to increase in height following the suspended level 1 roof line all the way to the main entry where there are the two 5-6 m multi-headed feature palms. The idea of the journey along the main path was to create this lush tropical, beachy holiday feel that gets better and better as you approach the grand entry! The use of aged rocks from our own property and river rock sections with succulents gives a great contrast for one but also depicts the gnarly aridness of a creek bed at the base of a tropical rainforest, then elevating up to tropical greenery and colour above.

This projected encompassed a broad spectrum of landscaping components form reshaping of the sand dunes, clear and tidy of existing dunes and vegetation – protection of wildlife namely a family of local Curlew Birds.

Tree protection zones (TPZ) were set up around existing vegetation prior to construction

The installation of new dune fencing which was challenging in several spots as there is a ginormous blue stone sea wall underneath the foreshore, the transplanting of existing dune species and the revege with new tube stock, all of which has successfully taken some 12 months down the track. We had run a token irrigation line to these areas (under timer) to ensure a 100% establishment rate was achieved in a media that has no soil structure.

We also went into the redesign of the dune fencing and location with GCCC council, along with the redesign of the turf areas out the beachfront (see attached) which was highly successful in giving the surf club an additional 500m2 of lawn area( instead of more beach/dune area ) to utilise for weekend nippers and outdoor functions along with more space for café patrons to sit and enjoy. This area was completely slaughtered throughout the Commonwealth Games with thousands of people utilising the lawn and some structures GCCC and sponsors had erected for the event.

 If you sit in the café and look toward the ocean you will notice the dune fence that significantly diminishes from South to North or right to left from a 1200mm height of origin down to 800mm at the end another design feat instigated by our team and well thought of ensuring that café patrons can look out and capture a full ocean view uninhibited by the dune fence!

There was a massive Ex-ground panting and crane exercise on this project, very challenging dealing with a multitude of trades all trying to get to the finish line at once! Some days our trees would sit out the front on trucks for 1-2 hours waiting for an area to become available on the site.

 Safety hording put up, pulled down, put up and pulled down and so on and so on!

Two spotters always and 1 guy out in the carpark managing pedestrians and escorting trucks in and out safely.

The most challenging Ex-ground planting was the one in the café that went in under the roof! Manoeuvred in sideways and on a 45’ angle until gib was at a maximum, then it was 5-6 guys pushing to and fro the root ball in manually as the tree became more vertical to a point where the call was “NOW! “and the crane driver released the Palm which landed in the hole. The tree was then strapped up and manually straightened with brute strength and packed in with sandy soil mix.

The 3 Tall and leggy Pandanus in the café area were hand-selected and a perfect choice as they take the height out the large vertical Kwilla timber features and not detracting from them at the same time.

The Construction of a GCCC outdoor shower with underground retaining out of stained timbers

and concrete apron, then decking and rubber matting on top with an access hatch for maintenance.

High-quality 316 stainless fittings and fixtures have been used. The Stainless outdoor shower kit was also installed and plumbed by us as well.

We had specially manufactured stainless bins to Council spec, we also requested the change from Natural hardwood cladding to plastic composite “EKO” deck cladding for longevity and low maintenance which we installed.

Stainless bike racks were also installed by us

Timber Bollard installation

Custom steel Bollard installation

Garden lighting infrastructure underground was installed for future lighting which has now been installed by our company

This irrigation system was supplied and installed by our Landscaping company inhouse, it came with many site restrictions and need a great understanding of the client’s requirements. Although it was install for the SLSC under the building contract by Paynter Dixon the actual asset own was Council of GC. The system was connected it the existing irrigation system for the parklands which had a 150mm mainline from a potable water supply with master valve protection and the control system was Irrinet Motorola.

The system had kilometres of pipe underground all of which was hand trenched in the sand.

Control cabling was a monumental as the council control room was some 300 metres away from our furthest solenoid and had to be run under existing pathways, new pathways and kerb and channel. We had chosen large pop up sprinklers and shrub heads in most gardens to ensure regular rinsing of salt spray on some of the more tender colour foliage plantings, which have adapted perfectly given the elements.

Our system consisted of 9 new station along with reinstatement and reconnect to some existing irrigation, we have large turf areas with Rainbird 8005, garden beds with rainbird 1812 Hi pop sprinklers, lawn area with 1804 popup sprinklers w/ MP Rotor nozzles and subsurface drip station. Our flows ranged from 1L/sec to 8L/sec. (Massive flow rates)

During construction we had no access to the central control system, so we installed a temporary standalone controller for the establishment period until it was rewired onto the council system. We had to coordinate a watering window that the council would turn the master valve on.

With all the difficulty faced we were able to deliver on time a fully operational irrigation system which council were happy to sign off on and take control.

In Closure Kurrawa was a very challenging but enjoyable project, it had a broad scope of landscape Items with the gardens and Plantings being the largest component and having the greatest impact on such a lovely Building complimenting each other perfectly. This project would have looked anything like this without our redesign which we are very proud of!  Our client is over the moon and we have had so many wonderful comments on our achievements here including a special mention at the official opening with Mayor Tom Tate.

Please be aware that the only subcontractor engaged on this project was the Stainless Steel Fabricator for the bin shells – bike racks – shower kit , the entire scope of  works were carried out in house by our highly skilled team .

 We have had the delight of maintaining the gardens for the club and take pride in what we see as a stunning garden that we have created as a team.