READ ALL ABOUT IT!
20 Sep 2011
A well-constructed landscape sets the scene for an award-winning municipal library
Read all about it!
A well-constructed landscape sets the scene for an award-winning municipal library
In March, 2009, the state-of-the art Ingleburn Library and Community Centre, located in Sydney’s south-west, was opened. Framing this impressive council amenity was an equally impressive landscape that was designed by Taylor Brammer Landscape Architects and built by Colin Bell and the Barrowar construction team. Colin has had a long association with large-scale and commercial landscaping construction and has brought his years of experience and expertise to this noteworthy public space.
The building is decorated in abstract murals, the colours and shapes cleverly reflected in the landscape. For instance, the garden beds are filled with Lagerstroemia indica (Crepe Myrtle trees) which, when flowering, bring the pink from the murals into each garden bed. The same applies to the brightly coloured foliage of the Syzygium luehmannii. These hardy lilly pillies boast bright green leaves, pink new foliage and bare striking reddish-pink-purple fruits.
Native grasses have been planted and again lift the green tones from the buildings, as does the bright-green turf. To give welcomed shade to this vast space, feature trees planted include Tristaniopsis laurina, commonly known as the Kanooka or Water Gum, Araucaria cunninghamii (Hoop Pine) and Ulmus parvifolia (Chinese Elm), which has soft yet tiny, pinkish-green flowers during the autumn months. Again, the plant material references the tones found in the exterior of the building.
Throughout, an automatic K.I.S.S.S. sub-surface textile irrigation system has been installed to efficiently deliver water directly over each plant’s root system. The award-winning K.I.S.S.S., which stands for Capillary Irrigation Sub-Surface System, reduces water usage as much as 60 per cent compared to other irrigation systems. Of course, all beds are thickly mulched to keep in this essential moisture.
Extra-wide concrete paths lead around the entire site and are also part of the play-space area that is nestled under a huge existing specimen tree. This allows visitors to casually stroll unhindered and enjoy the ambience of this large outdoor space as they make their way to the council facilities. To add interest and provide a nice sitting area, smooth rolling “hills” have been formed in the three large grassed areas in the centre of the garden quadrangle.
Barrowar takes pride in delivering quality landscape construction to large commercial properties through metropolitan areas as well as the greater Sydney region. Good-quality materials and workmanship ensure each project is delivered professionally, to budget and on time. In fact, Ingleburn Library and Community Centre has won a major award for being an outstanding community space, with Campbelltown council being presented with the Australian Property Institute (API) NSW Excellence in Property Local Government Award for delivering an innovative, multi-purpose community facility that combines environmental savings with respect for the site’s heritage.