“Life would be easy for designers if you could just ignore the cultural and environmental sensitivities of a site,” chuckles Fleetwood Creative & Technical Lead, Mark Jol. “You could just bulldoze everything and start from a blank page! But that’s not how we do things at Fleetwood.”

Of course, the reality is very different. Every project has unique characteristics and requirements that must be carefully considered, often significant ones. But, as Mark explains, these shouldn’t automatically force you to compromise on your project’s vision or outcome.

Embracing the challenges of context.

“Sensitive sites can take many designers outside of their comfort zone. But it’s what Fleetwood does best,” says Mark Jol.

“Native flora and fauna. Indigenous and cultural heritage. Steep or unstable terrain. Even just the local neighbours. With decades of experience in managing all of these factors, our team has a tried and tested understanding of how they can influence the design, materiality and methodology of a successful project.”

Light.. the way.

When it comes to delivering structures within sensitive locations, Mark explains the Fleetwood philosophy can be best summed in one word: ‘light’. 

“Lightweight structures. Light carbon footprint. Light equipment. Light touch on the ground plane,” he says. “A lot of this comes down to the footings, of course. Lighter is almost always better. It means less core holes need to be drilled. Less concrete needs to be poured. Less machinery is required for the installation. Less community disruption, and so on.” 

“It’s one of reasons our Mars boardwalk system continues to be so popular,” Mark continues. “It’s hugely versatile and has an extremely low environmental impact, with a proprietary piling system that can be driven by hand if required, making it ideal for use in fragile or marshy terrain, especially those with acid sulphate soils. There’s virtually no disruption to local ecosystems.”

Bats, birds and flannel flowers.

During his 12+ years with Fleetwood, Mark has designed for countless projects with unique and sensitive site characteristics.

“We’ve installed custom-made ‘bat boxes’ to protect microbat populations. Adjusted construction methodologies to preserve native flannel flowers. Designed shelters in National Parks with open-ended galvanised tubes to encourage nesting by local bird populations. Reconfigured footbridges to reduce the risk of vibrations causing damage to nearby Indigenous artworks and cave paintings. There are hundreds of examples, it’s part of almost every project we work on – as it should be!”

Here are three other projects that stand out for Mark.

Jim Somerville Bridge,

Narrabeen Lagoon Stage 2

“We delivered a series of bridges in a very sensitive ecological area on Sydney’s northern beaches.

It was especially challenging as the construction window was very narrow, due to the endangered Australasian Bittern population and its nesting season.

We negotiated access to some adjacent land at a local golf course to keep disturbance around the lagoon and creeks to an absolute minimum.”

Domain Creek Playground,

Parramatta Park

“Following the initial design stage, a number of Aboriginal artefacts were discovered directly in the work zone.

As we obviously needed to leave them untouched, we liaised with local elders and other project stakeholders and were able to offer an innovative alternative that meant the approved Play structures were still able to be built 100% above ground with zero excavation or piling whatsoever.”

Pyes Creek Swing Bridge,

Cherrybrook

“This was our first ever swing bridge. It’s a great example of designing a ‘light touch’ solution. The site is steep, densely vegetated and right in the heart of suburbia.

The potential for complications and disruptions was pretty high. But by using a cable-based swing design, we were able to keep the footprint much smaller than a conventional truss-style structure.

With no cranes or heavy machinery required, it was cheaper and faster to install too. Almost everything was done by hand – and the end result is fantastic. The bridge blends into the surrounding trees and looks like it’s been there for years.”

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