Photo acknowledgement: Trevor Mein
Barwon Water head office, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Barwon Water
Designed by GHDWoodhead, the Barwon Water head office in Geelong, Victoria, has been named Australia's best commercial building, receiving the Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture from the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA).
The project also received AIA's inaugural National Sustainability Award for the adaptive reuse of two existing 1970s buildings that retained the energy embodied in the concrete structure, while creating a contemporary workplace and a landmark for Geelong's central business district.
The energy-efficient facility is wrapped in a distinctive high-performance façade that is inspired by the city's industrial history.
According to the jury citation, the project created a workplace that "feels vibrant and domestic" while the façade "gives the building an overall sense of purpose – one that aligns with the qualities of a public authority dedicated to providing one of the most fundamental services."
The citation also said the design "sets an excellent precedent for re-using the aged, underperforming building stock located in regional centres throughout Australia."
This level of recognition highlights the value of GHDWoodhead’s integrated design offering, which combines architecture with engineering and other services to help clients realise complex projects.
Photo credit: Trevor Mein
Larrakia Cultural Centre – Feasibility and Social Business Case, Northern Territory, Australia
Larrakia Development Corporation
A unique cultural centre is being proposed for the Darwin Waterfront, to transmit and preserve the language and culture of the Larrakia people, the traditional owners of the greater Darwin region, and attract visitors from around the world.
The new centre will be located in close proximity to the sacred Chinute Chinute site, home to a Larrakia spiritual ancestor that manifests itself as a Tawny Frogmouth.
The Larrakia Development Corporation engaged GHD to develop a strategic business case for the cultural centre.
A combined team of GHD, GHD Advisory and GHDWoodhead provided a comprehensive suite of services, including:
- Undertaking a scoping and feasibility assessment to identify the location for the facility
- Helping build political and public support for the initiative
- Outlining the potential opportunities to promote Aboriginal culture and increase tourism in the Northern Territory
- Developing a functional brief for the future design of the cultural centre.
Grantley Hall, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Grantley Hall (client), R N Wooler (contractor), Bowman Riley (architect)
GHD is helping Grantley Hall recapture its elegant past as it embraces its future as a luxury hotel, spa and events venue by using our cutting-edge skills, technology and design for the ambitious restoration of this Grade II-listed mansion house in North Yorkshire.
The team is carrying out the civil and structural engineering design against a challenging brief. The work includes restoration of the existing hall and design of a new build facility that offers a spa, elite performance centre, accommodation, and basement office area. GHD has combined traditional structural engineering with leading digital design technology to help guide the client and stakeholders through the design solutions.
This use of building information modelling allowed easy agreement of design alterations and helped the client truly feel the finished facility by walking through the virtual building before moving seamlessly into construction. With the project progressing at pace, Grantley Hall is due to open in spring 2019.
“GHD used industry-leading 3D design technologies and worked collaboratively with our wider team to help us to achieve our project vision and aspirations. In particular, their preparation of live 3D walk-through videos was invaluable and enabled us to ‘see’ our project, influencing its form throughout the design development phase and well in advance of the construction commencing,” says Andrew McPherson, General Manager at Grantley Hall.
Le Petit Paris, Doha, Qatar
Al Asmakh Properties
GHD is providing design and engineering consulting services for the masterplan and approval stage of Le Petit Paris, a mixed-use development located at the Lusail Entertainment City in Doha, Qatar.
The Parisian-style development will cover a total built-up area of 170,000m2, including 10 luxury serviced apartment buildings, a 4-star hotel and two standalone restaurant buildings with an underground carpark. To achieve the client’s vision for a vibrant urban neighbourhood, the team proposed a land use strategy that will enhance the area, forming a transition zone between the nearby Place Vendôme, currently under construction, and the waterfront boulevard of the Lusail Marina.
The masterplan creates a dynamic and stylish urban precinct, drawing on Neoclassic rules to link two opposite squares and a connecting high street. Recreational landscape areas will be provided in the form of pocket parks and the marina-side boulevard. Architectural features on the proposed buildings and carefully designed street furniture will bring an ambience of historical Paris into the new district of the Qatar capital.
Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi, UAE
CEBRA Architects
Qasr Al Hosn is the emblematic birthplace of Abu Dhabi. It is the first permanent structure built in the emirate and one that housed its ruling Al Nahyan family for generations.
The fort remained the seat of government until 1966. It has been developed several times and is now partially open to public.
The original coastal desert landscape that surrounded the fort has now been replaced by Abu Dhabi’s urban area.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism (DCT) is developing a new masterplan for the Qasr Al Hosn area, featuring a park inspired by the desert that gives visitors a glimpse of traditional life in Abu Dhabi and recreates the sense of arrival in a coastal oasis.
Through careful conservation and development, the site will become home to a wide variety of indoor and outdoor cultural and social activities.
GHD was selected with its partner, Danish architecture practice CEBRA, through a design competition.
GHD’s role includes structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering design services, fulfilling the role of the Architect of Record and providing post-contract construction supervision services.
A number of offices including UAE, UK, Philippines and Australia have supported the delivery of this landmark project, which is deeply connected to the history of the UAE.