Bus shelter design hailed a winner

Noosa's new look bus shelters have won an award.

Majstorovic Architecture’s design has won the Regional Project of the Year Award, together with a Regional Commendation Award in the 2016 Sunshine Coast Regional Architecture Awards, run by the Australian Institute of Architects.

The shelter design now progresses to the Queensland Architecture Awards in June.

Council’s Planning and Infrastructure Director Martin Drydale said the award was a fitting end to a successful partnership with local businesses.

“Majstorovic Architecture and fellow project partners Tod Consulting Engineers and fabricators Noosa Engineering and Crane Hire took our brief and ran with it, to deliver an award-winning locally-made bus shelter that is unique to Noosa,” he said.

Councillors last year called for an original design that gave the shire’s bus stops – highly visible public infrastructure – a distinct Noosa flavour.

“The brief was for a low-maintenance, hard-wearing structure that complements Noosa’s environment and complies with new disability access standards but costs no more to produce, install and maintain than an off-the-shelf product,” Mr Drydale said.

“In fact, the new shelters have been designed to reduce ongoing maintenance costs.”

Council is replacing the previous bus shelter styles, designed in the 1980s, as they are due for renewal.

“We secured state funding to upgrade the old shelters to new Disability Discrimination Act-standards, which improves safety and access for older people and passengers with a disability,” Mr Drydale said.

“This funding, plus savings achieved by working with local businesses, and the fact we have a unique Noosa design, represents a great outcome.”

Judges praised Majstorovic Architecture for meeting Council’s complex list of objectives with the timber and aluminium design.

“The new shelters are pre-fabricated off site and can be installed in as little as two hours. We can also adapt the design to meet site constraints,” Mr Drydale said.

Noosa Engineering & Crane Hire Managing Director Ryza Garbacz said the local company was pleased to partner with local government and other businesses to achieve a result that is truly local.

“It has lifted morale within the team at Noosa Engineering & Crane Hire and the entire team is very proud to see all their hard work neatly constructed and on show right throughout the shire. The shelters have been a real community relationship enhancing project from that aspect as well as delivering a world class product on a local level,” he said.

Council has so far installed 27 new shelters.

12 May 2016