Modus was recently involved in developing a compliant public toilet facility solution for a high-exposure coastal location in Koombana Bay, WA. The City of Bunbury Council was carrying out a landscape redevelopment to reinvigorate the underused waterfront and needed a durable public toilet facility that would be able to endure the harsh salt corrosion risks that come with any coastal foreshore location.
A coastal marine environment means constant exposure to salt air, high UV and wind loads, plus significant short and long-term corrosion risks. Further, City of Bunbury Council required a facility that would last at least 30 years in these harsh conditions.
The current, aging toilet facilities needed to be replaced with modern infrastructure that included accessible toilets, showers for beach users and which met current AS1428.1 standards. It would need to comfortably support higher visitor numbers and any solution would have to be durable and low-maintenance to deliver long-term value to council and community.
At the same time, the site imposed tricky logistical and architectural challenges. The design would have to incorporate custom aesthetics suitable for the foreshore location. It also had to smoothly integrate with nearby existing shelters. Construction also needed to be coordinated with the broader ongoing foreshore renewal broader ongoing landscape project while minimising disruption to community use of the beach and foreshore.
Modus' resulting design was a customised version of the Yarra 6 Prefab Washroom Buildings, with seven cubicles, an accessible toilet and two showers, plus a staff-only servicing area for maintenance. Prefabricated offsite, Yarra 6 is a versatile design, engineered to endure strong wind loads, constant salt air exposure and marine environment corrosion.
The facility is designed from the ground-up to meet AS1428.1 compliance standards and features an accessible toilet and shower. Each cubicle has ambulant grabrails; showers come with anti-ligature fixtures (and are powered by a high-capacity 3-phase Stiebel Eltron hot water system for user comfort).
Toilet Safety provisions include concealed sharps disposal units and deadlock security systems on all cubicles. LED lighting is integrated with day/night sensor and motion detection devices.
As aesthetic integration with the existing and planned infrastructure was also key, the stand out customised design feature was the red powder-coated verandah columns and Surfmist cladding and roofing finish for a clean coastal aesthetic. Keeping the project design in-house made it simpler to align the look, functionality and style of the new 15.5 metres by 6.88 metres facility to complement the broader renewal of the Koombana Bay foreshore.
The structure itself uses a robust combination of materials to meet the Council’s desired 30-plus-year useful operational life. The primary frame is made from hot-dip galvanised steel. This is further protected by a 2-pac epoxy paint system for long-lasting and effective corrosion resistance. External surfaces are all marine-grade aluminium cladding while the roofing uses Colorbond Ultra, renowned for its ability to resist salt-laden air and high-moisture conditions that degrade standard building materials. Plus, all the internal fixtures such as the 7 concealed cistern toilets, the 3 washbasins and 3 showers, as well as handrails, hinges and locks use high grade marine stainless steel for maximum durability and ease of maintenance.
Employing an off-site, prefabricated manufacturing approach minimised disruption to the foreshore surrounds. Construction is as much as 30% faster, and much less disruptive. Once the new concrete pad was poured and cured, the entire toilet block structure could be installed in days, significantly reducing disturbance to foreshore public access.
"Working with Modus Australia on the Koombana Bay amenities building was a really positive experience. Their in-house design approach ensured the building integrated seamlessly with the broader foreshore landscape project while being engineered for coastal resilience - critical for this high-exposure location. The off-site manufacturing delivered quality assurance and significantly reduced construction time and disruption in a heavily used public area. The Modus team were collaborative throughout, and we now have a facility that serves our community well and is built to last in demanding coastal conditions."
Lisa Armstrong, Acting Coordinator Property Management and Maintenance, City of Bunbury
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