AILA projects

Queensland Projects

Viridian Noosa

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Landscape Architect: EDAW and Chenoweth EPLA

Location: Noosa Heads, Queensland

BUDGET Total Development $300 million

CLIENT Viridian Noosa Pty Ltd
(Leighton Properties / Ariadne joint venture)

CONTRACTOR    John Holland Group

SUB CONTRACTOR Terania Creek Nursery

Overview

Situated approximately 500 metres from Hastings Street, and adjacent to Noosa National Park, Viridian Noosa is an integrated residential and resort development in a hillside and creek valley setting with existing and rehabilitated native forest, overlooking Laguna Bay. The challenges faced by the design team to implement a vision for ecologically sustainable development of the site were its visual sensitivity, watercourses and existing flora and fauna, which had become degraded by past land use. A multi-disciplinary team of environmental design professionals was engaged to plan a world-class development appropriate to its location and ESD principles, within the identified site constraints and opportunities.

The land management components of the Viridian Noosa site were planned by EDAW and Chenoweth EPLA. EDAW was responsible for landscape analysis and design within the development footprint, including tree retention, retaining walls and water-sensitive design, as well as a major public walkway between Hastings Street and Laguna Lookout

Chenoweth EPLA was responsible for rehabilitation and monitoring of a 14 ha area of hillside and creekline areas, based on ‘best practice’ restoration ecology. The revegetated Noosa Hill parcel, including the walkway, was then gazetted as public open space under the control of Noosa Council as a significant community asset.

The partnership between EDAW and Chenoweth EPLA has ensured full integration of the residential, resort and rehabilitation precincts within their landscape and ecological setting, including the National Park.

Planning and design of the Viridian Noosa development were based on site constraints and opportunities investigated over several years, including the existing flora and fauna, watercourses and the visual sensitivity of the landform, such that landscape design, visual assessment and ecological restoration have been fully integrated to the highest standards of ESD.

The rehabilitation plan and monitoring program represents a significant advance in that it has been based on reference sites in the adjacent National Park and detailed field assessment in determining appropriate rehabilitation precincts and target forest communities, and ongoing progress of ecological succession is being monitored.

The development has rehabilitated a 14 ha area of weed-infested hillside to self-sustaining habitat, and contributed back to the community a visually prominent and strategically located parkland. The rehabilitation plan and monitoring program represents current best practice in science-based restoration ecology and has already made a significant contribution to local habitat. Not only has it provided a high diversity of native flora and fauna, it has:

Created a habitat extension and faunal movement corridors associated with Noosa National Park;

Buffered significant plant species occurring on site, including the nationally listed Macadamia integrifolia and Cryptocarya foetida;

Enhanced habitat for the Koala and Glossy Black Cockatoo – both species regarded as ‘vulnerable’ under Queensland Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation; and

Restored an area of regional ecosystem listed as ‘of concern’ under the Vegetation Management Act – the Notophyll vine forest on parabolic high dunes.

The landscape design intent for Viridian Noosa takes into account the ecological context of the site, as well as operational and aesthetic issues that were required of the master plan design to achieve the following key objectives:

To achieve and enhance the “green backdrop” to Noosa Heads;

To maintain and reinforce existing vegetation identified as having high conservation value;

To preserve views, vistas and make use of the “borrowed” views increasing the visual feel for the landscape by opening corridors to surrounding environs, remnant bushland, National Park and distant views to hills;

To assist simple way-finding and highlight primary access through the implementation of circulation and casual gathering spaces;

To make use of the existing landform and new plantings to screen buildings, car parks and other structures;

To reinforce existing tree species with new structure planting to major access ways and circulation routes throughout the site;

To select a plant palette in keeping with the conservation strategy and to complement the nature of the site and the proposed resort function;

To create and enhance habitat areas through the use of appropriate plant selection; and

To select hard landscape materials to complement the nature of the proposed built form and draw reference from the prevailing Noosa style.

Demonstration of a deep understanding of the science of landscape architecture and founded on robust environmental/cultural land management principles

The rehabilitation plan developed for the broader Viridian Noosa site was founded on robust environmental land management principles in that:

The rehabilitation precincts were derived from detailed site analysis;

Appropriate rehabilitation species were selected from those occurring naturally on site and those in the adjacent National Park;

The ‘target’ vegetation communities were clearly defined in terms of their floristic composition and vegetative structure through the collection of data from remnant vegetation in the neighbouring National Park;

The rehabilitation plan was peer reviewed by a recognised authority on rainforest restoration;

The techniques and framework were sufficiently robust to cope with drought-induced setbacks and community requests for retention of attractive views; and

Progress towards rehabilitation goals has been regularly monitored for ecological succession against defined success criteria.

The landscape development of the site is designed to achieve a level of environmental responsibility and to illustrate how the development will protect, maintain and enhance the Environmental Values of the site.

A Landscape Management Report has provided appropriate guidelines for the approach to landscape design solutions for Viridian Noosa, as well as ongoing care and maintenance of the existing landscape and appropriate new plantings and landscape development.

Extensive survey of existing trees was undertaken prior to the development of site plans and individual trees were retained and / or pruned in order to maintain the foliage around the houses where possible. Buildings have been positioned and designed to maximise the retention and benefit of these trees in providing a bushland setting for the development.

Additional planting has been used to reinforce this canopy and provide an understorey of shrubs and groundcovers in keeping with the native landscape and to provide suitable setting for development. For example, Stage 3 of Viridian Noosa is located within an area surrounded by existing and revegetated rainforest, and landscape planting reinforces this theme with additional lush rainforest species used in the understorey and immediate surrounds of the buildings.

The residential/resort development areas and the rehabilitation precincts have been integrated through a highly collaborative approach, and the rehabilitation plan and program has been developed and managed using current ‘best practice’ restoration ecology. The latter represents a significant advance in that it has been based on reference sites and detailed field assessment in determining appropriate rehabilitation precincts, ‘target’ rehabilitation communities through analysis of neighbouring remnant vegetation and ongoing progress of ecological succession.

The Viridian Noosa development has been designed to incorporate the following land management systems:

Environmental management, including environmental linkages and habitat for koalas and glossy black and red tailed cockatoos;

Vegetation management, including enhancement and maintenance of existing vegetation;

Irrigation;

Weed control;

Freshwater habitat;

Lighting; and

Bushfire prevention.

Chenoweth EPLA’s use of structural and floristic information attained from ‘target’ vegetation communities followed up by monitoring of rehabilitation against success criteria ensured that this project met the brief of restoration of original vegetation types and sets an example for other projects to follow.

The extent to which sustainable ecological and/or cultural principles have been identified and adopted

The following ecologically sustainable principles were applied to all rehabilitation works:

The use of local native species, with an emphasis on plants with local genetic provenance ensures that the is no likelihood of planted species becoming weeds; and

The aim of restoration work was to rapidly establish a canopy cover, thereby minimising the need for ongoing maintenance, such as less need for ongoing use of chemicals and fossil fuels.

Rehabilitation on this project concords with AILA environmental principles and incorporates the following design and implementation elements:

EDAW selected appropriate plant species to match the topography and soils and revegetation of the hillside was modelled to slow surface runoff and thereby offset hard surfaces of the development area closer to the watercourse;

Appropriate plant selection and placement reduced the resource drain, with selection of plant species based on:

Analysis of soil types, topography and (where present) existing regrowth to determine the most appropriate species to utilise in defined precincts

Those occurring naturally on site and those in the adjacent National Park.

Landscape design employs permeable surfaces, which allows water to filter through ground;

Use of water crystals during the drought, in addition to mulching reduced the need for ongoing watering;

The aim of restoration work was to rapidly establish a canopy cover, thereby minimising the need for ongoing maintenance, such as less need for ongoing use of chemicals and fossil fuels;

Distinct protection zones were signed and fenced off during site construction worked, located on the outside edge of ‘protected’ native vegetation;

Use of recycled or re-used landscape materials from the local region – mulch from green waste, crushed brick or concrete, re-used timber and pavers – as well as materials from sustainable sources, such as bamboo;

Use of appropriately sized trees and other plants to improve microclimate around buildings and reduce need for air-conditioning and heating systems; and

Chemicals prescribed for the control of weeds were known to be of low toxicity.

This project stands out in that it is based on detailed field assessment to determine appropriate rehabilitation precincts, ‘target’ rehabilitation communities through analysis of neighbouring remnant vegetation and ongoing monitoring of the ecological success of rehabilitation.

The collaboration between EDAW and Chenoweth EPLA ensured that both the residential and rehabilitation precincts have been developed and managed using current ‘best practice’ restoration ecology. The rehabilitation plan and monitoring program represents a significant advance, in that it has been based on reference sites and detailed field assessment in determining appropriate rehabilitation precincts, ‘target’ rehabilitation communities through analysis of neighbouring remnant vegetation and ongoing progress of ecological succession.

The capacity for the site to provide for the education of future practitioners and the wider community is excellent. The outcome has already won the acclaim of the Noosa council and from the wider Noosa community as maintaining the character of the local area, while achieving a number of key environmental outcomes.

The program was based on the scientific principles of restoration ecology and best-practice rehabilitation techniques, with clear end-point objectives, rather than a ‘quick fix’ approach. Signage adjacent to publicly accessible pathways acknowledges that the area has been restored. The extensive rehabilitation work provides an accessible example of what can be done to restore native vegetation and functioning ecosystems.

introduction / overview / images  /  location /  Qld-Projects

2008