David Knights and Alexa McAuley developed designs for a green roof at the new Katoomba Cultural Centre for the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The green roof was inspired by the sandstone escarpments and the wetland heath vegetation of the Blue Mountains plateau.
The Cultural Centre drains to the World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains National Park as well as Sydney’s water supply catchment and hence the highest stormwater quality controls were required. The design response was to design the green roof as a raingarden to clean and filter stormwater from the adjacent platform and roofs. The treated water is then collected in a tank in the basement for reuse for toilet flushing throughout the Cultural Centre.
We worked closely with the Blue Mountains Conservation Society to source appropriate local wetland heath species which were endemic to the upper Blue Mountains. This was a critical part of the success of the project as the plants have to survive hot, dry and windy conditions as well as periodic inundation all within in a very shallow soil environment.
The innovative design has been recognised with a number of awards including the National Stormwater Award for Research and Innovation.
Scope
Landscape design / Stormwater treatment / Stormwater reuse / Civil design
Phases
Feasibility / Concept Design / Detailed Design
Client
Blue Mountains City Council