Waratah Community Park
“Structural complexity meets elegant simplicity”
Executive Summary
Fleetwood were engaged by Tract Consultants to assist with the buildability of their design for a complex and intricate shelter at Waratah Community Park in Craigieburn, Victoria. Originally another company was earmarked for the engineering phase, but due to issues with the scale of the project drawings it didn’t work out. After reworking the drawings three times, Fleetwood identified a way to make the design specs and space work with gutters, fully drained, to conceal any leakage or drainage (nice and neat!), before moving into full shop detailing, construction and installation on site.
Client
Villawood Properties
Completed
2018
State
VIC
Design Partners
Tract Consultants
Scope of Work
Deliver, Detail, Develop, Discover
Fleetwood Involvement
Fleetwood’s involvement in the final design and engineering stages were key to the project’s success. Our initial calculations showed the desired roof components would not meet the aesthetic parameters of the design brief. By taking an innovative and intuitive engineering approach to this challenge, we found a new solution that allowed the design to be brought to life while also achieving the client’s desired aesthetic for the shelter.
More Project Information
The shelter’s greatest design challenge was the depth of the cantilever roof structure and concealed roof supports. Considerable design engineering and skill was needed to make this work within the desired size of the structural members.
Incorporating the roof structure within the depth of the edge fascia beam presented a significant challenge. This included the framing for the soffit and the roof accommodating concealed full-length gutters and downpipes. The size of the cantilever dictated the footing design, which was a key component in bringing the overall structure to life. We were also on a tight delivery timeline as Villawood had a ‘no reserve auction’ on a house directly across the road with all proceeds going to charity. This meant we needed to finish the project quickly to help maximise the sale value of the property.
A central part of the design was the intricate composite timber soffit. Fleetwood designed the roof components in a way that allowed the structure to be completely assembled without any on-site welding. Due to the complexity of the soffit installation, the roof was fully assembled upside down on the ground and lifted into position on the support frames. This gave the Fleetwood site crew complete control over the quality of the soffit finish and reduced the need to work at heights.
- Composite timber soffit
- Custom laser cut pic perforated panels
- Concealed roof and drainage
- Mild steel
- Marine grade paint system
- Perforated steel
- Corrugated sheet
- Wood plastic composite
Safety needed to be considered at every stage due to the public nature of the park. Specifically, very careful attention was paid to the size of the perforations in the decorative panel to ensure there were no finger entrapment risks. Access panels were also provided to allow easy maintenance of the concealed downpipe system and ensure the ongoing performance of the design.
The composite timber soffit was chosen as an environmentally responsible and sustainable answer to using traditional timber.
The brand new park incorporated junior play & senior play, as well as a skatepark for active teens, and quickly became a popular social hub for the local community.
It gives parents the ability to watch and relax as their children play. The seating, incorporated into the support frames, also creates a space for teenagers to hang out. More than just a shed, the shelter helps to create a real sense of community and belonging for local residents and visitors alike.
