Tag Archives: Swanbourne Village

Ecotect Architects to Lead and Promote a Vision for Swanbourne

Vision for Swanbourne

The vision for Swanbourne was spawned 12 years ago when Garry Baverstock and Julia Hayes made Swanbourne their home. They could see the village environment was degrading slowly rather than improving, however, they felt it was a great place for rejuvenation around the railway station. This rejuvenation was given a large boost with the current plans to develop the whole precinct with the Swanbourne Village complex becoming a catalyst for change to a more vibrant and desirable place to live.

Swanbourne Precinct will share Vision

The Swanbourne Village will take advantage of the proximity of the railway station with plans to help existing businesses already there to increase diversity and create more customers while attracting new businesses to the area and making them all more viable.

Collaboration with Business Owners

The vision will be further extended just across the railway line from the Swanbourne Village with the creation of the Swanbourne Precinct Development Trust that has recently purchased a crucial property within the business complex. A collaboration with the business owners adjacent to the railway line will complement the initiative of the Swanbourne Village to increase and improve the shopping precinct while also increasing the density with transit oriented developments at the back and over the existing shops over the next 10 years.

The first step in this rejuvenation is to masterplan the precinct and engage the existing community and business owners as stakeholders as the Trust develops, so all are empowered to control their own destiny rather than the piecemeal approach often favoured by big developers. Garry Baverstock commented,

“We create a community style development where the stakeholders are the real stakeholders and beneficiaries of what is achieved; driven by an architectural and planning concept rather than simply a money-making venture”.

Development Similar to Prahran, Melbourne

This planned development will be similar to Prahran in Melbourne and the Swanbourne Village Trust has a video illustrating how this progressive community in Prahran carried out the planning of their precinct. The principles behind this community based approach is what Ecotech Architects is promoting for Swanbourne.

Finally, every development Ecotect undertakes will adhere to its commitment for maximised, passive and active solar systems and integration into sustainable garden and water waste management systems.

Photo Credits; Nick Melidonis, www.nickmelidonis.com

Swanbourne Sculpture for all Seasons

Award winning WA sculptor, Max Ball, has recently unveiled a stunning metal masterpiece.

His artistic design is currently gracing a vacant block earmarked for an environmentally and community sensitive residential village in Swanbourne.

Leading Perth architect, Garry Baverstock AM, approached Max, also an architect, in late 2015 to commission him to come up with an innovative and inspirational public artwork. The final work would reflect the spirit that lies at the heart of the new Swanbourne Village that is in the final planning process.

The Swanbourne Sculpture Design

Max’s design concepts immediately turned towards nature and natural forms. Polished stainless steel together with metal parts that will rust with time, provided a rich, tactile texture representing lemon tree leaves. This reflected the Mediterranean aesthetic that was Garry’s creative design concept for the village.

Max described his new work as having “Fluid curving lines with thin stemlike members and leaf forms. I wanted to achieve a visual sense of growth and a striving for height whilst maintaining a connection to the ground. I have used a rust staining steel for the lower leaves to visually anchor the piece to the ground and stainless steel for those reaching to the sky. A vine like support framework holds the leaves in place whilst allowing subtle wind movement with variations of colour and light reflection.”

The public can see and enjoy Max’s striking work of art on the corner of Congdon and Railway Streets, Swanbourne.

Ecotect Architects is a leading, award-winning architectural practice that provides tailored, professional services to people who want to live and work in energy efficient urban designed buildings that are water and energy efficient. Click on Environmental Architects Perth to see more.

Photo Credits; Nick Melidonis, www.nickmelidonis.com

Green Cards to be Dealt at Cottesloe’s Old Bridge Centre

21 November 2009

Jacinta Goerke
Journalist

A NEW type of cards is soon to be played at the once well-patronised Rosendorf’s Bridge Centre located on Railway Street in Cottesloe.

As of early December the new ‘bridge’ will no longer be home to shuffling decks, calling spades and keeping score, but to the hustle and bustle of professionals working toward building a more sustainable future.

Swanbourne Railway Station near the new Swanbourne Business Centre

Centre owners Ms Julia Hayes and Mr Garry Baverstock said the new ‘bridge’ is to be renamed ‘The Swanbourne Business Centre’ where a serviced office Perth can be leased by business people committed to doing something positive about the environment.

“From the outset we wanted to turn the ‘old bridge’ into a centre of sustainable excellence where professionals working in green industries could come together to share ideas, network and use a common secretarial service while remaining independent,” said Ms Hayes.

“We’re aware new ideas and innovative ways of doing things often emerge when neighbouring executives share ideas.

“This means we’re keen to hear from people who specialise in areas such as environmental law, climate science, sustainable building practices, engineering, town planning, real estate development and other business activities such as ethical investment and financing and complementary trades and professionals,” she said.

Ms Hayes said the sustainability and green industry was rapidly growing and specialists were keen to connect and lease premises alongside like-minded professionals.

She said the new Swanbourne Business Centre in the Swanbourne Village was complementary to ‘all things green’ because it had been retrofitted to comply with quality green building principles to ensure energy efficiency and natural comfort.

“The office walls have double insulation, there is a well-appointed natural ventilation system and a low energy cooling system in place, ceiling fans are installed and low energy lighting complements natural light in each room,” she said.

“The office building also takes advantage of the northern orientation in which natural daylight is harnessed to light, heat and provide maximum comfort in each office.

“And the upstairs’ location has excellent views across to the village shops and the ocean in the distance,” she said.

Ms Hayes said tenants and people external to the centre would be able to access the secretarial support service for typing, photocopying and possibly use temporary office/work stations.

She said this business model of sharing secretarial services and office equipment in one central location worked well in Asia and among medical, allied health and legal specialists.

Mr Baverstock, a well known local eco architect, said there were savings to be made in sharing larger professional offices and identities.

“Daily social and professional contact is often lacking when people work from home and, with huge advances in the internet, it’s no longer necessary for businesses to employ full-time secretaries and lease expensive office equipment,” said Mr Baverstock.

“Paying a higher price for a smaller office and sharing facilities can be much cheaper than business as usual in one’s own office suite or complex.

Mr Baverstock said many people were now taking advantage of the recent slow down in activity to restructure and downscale the floor area of their offices.

“In fact, I think the people of Swanbourne are ready for an eco-oriented village and this is just one more step towards that sustainable vision,” he said.

Mr Baverstock said the Swanbourne Railway Station was across the road, the post office and other key shops and cafes were within a short walk.

Mr Baverstock and Ms Hayes said the new centre was once a vibrant bridge club and part of the heritage of the location.

“There is also a bridge in front of the building and the centre will provide a bridge of business opportunities for people ready to grow their businesses in a sustainable and efficient manner,” he said.

However, not all will be lost from the old bridge days said Mr Baverstock.

“I’m sure some of the ‘lingo’ will still be heard and used,” he said.

“For example, we’re looking for ‘partners’ who can play their cards right, keep score on the environment and regularly call trumps.

“But to call a spade a spade; please no ‘dummies’ (a term bridge players will understand); ‘just genuine people who want to contribute to the Cottesloe business scene and community,” said Mr Baverstock.

Image-
Name: Transperth Swanbourne Train Station
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Transperth_Swanbourne_Train_Station.jpg
Image released into the public domain

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