Mon Repos Turtle Centre won National Commendation for Sustainable Architecture

Mon Repos Conservation Park on Queensland’s coast, which is part of the larger community of Bargara, is the most important turtle nesting ground in Australia for the endangered loggerhead turtle. The new visitor centre and research office needed to fulfil the opposing requirements of highly restricted light-spill at night and natural light in the daytime. The design achieves this through ingenuity in the planning arrangement, construction and building fabric design. The clever structural system – a glulam timber diagrid – was prefabricated locally using local timbers. Environmental responses include the compact building footprint, removal of onsite parking, reduced construction time to suit the turtle season calendar, minimization of waste and site disruption, mixed-mode ventilation and the use of highly durable materials for longevity in the harsh saline environment.

National Architecture Awards Jury 2020