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With the aim to improve safety and patrolling through upgraded facilities, the new works are intended to be completed before the start of the next season.

A development application for the broader vision to restore and expand the club has been granted by Coffs Harbour City Council. The existing building uses large amounts of energy and provides less than ideal living and working conditions for its occupants. Internal spaces are difficult to cool and heat, have poor lighting, poor ventilation, and solar penetration.

The Surf Club Refurbishment Project presents the opportunity to provide a much needed revitalisation of the existing site and surf club building, and transform it to create a landmark beachside destination with an iconic public building which contributes to its users safety, health, happiness, and well being.

The vision is to revitalise the existing Surf Life Saving Club facility to establish a valuable public asset of outstanding design and visual amenity- a safe and healthy environment for people to enjoy the surf, and interact with each other and the physical place around them.

Click on link for NBN news storey below.

https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2017/03/30/state-grant-means-first-stage-of-surf-club-redevelopment-can-go-ahead/

FD+A 12 May 2019

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Sitting at the drawing board in 2005, our Sydney practice of Mackenzie Pronk was about one year old. We were busy over-servicing our very local residential clients, we had a small baby in the office and not enough work. Our friends Anna and Christian from Fisher Design and Architecture had relocated to the Mid North Coast some years earlier. We had worked together at Tonkin Zulaikha Greer in the past; catch ups were brief and focused on some noisy Sydney watering hole.

Out of the blue Christian emailed us a brief – an EOI followed by a limited competition for National Parks – and it was due in a week. Without blinking or thinking we were working together again, exchanging emails of sketches, text and drawing files. We quickly devised a system of working together including operating the other’s mouse from 500 kms away during Skype calls. It felt like the remote working future had arrived.

Yet nothing beats being on the ground. I checked frequent flyer points and which airline would allow two surfboards and a design workshop was on. Work should be fun and life should triumph. We cruised the coast looking for the best waves, then with sandy feet in the Bellingen studio we worked till late, getting blurry and spilling wine on drawings.

Our partnership agreement was that we would aim to split all workloads and any fees 50–50, unless otherwise agreed. This has worked well for later projects, as have intensive periods working in the same room.

For a young Sydney practice, we enjoyed the broader range of projects, getting out of town and working with friends. For the guys up the coast on an acreage, teaming with a Sydney practice expanded the capacity of their office to aim for bigger projects.

In over a decade we have completed about ten projects together with few disagreements and now have a little bag of awards for the work we have done together. Pitching for work early on as ‘architects in association’ it seemed like a web of complexities may open up. We tested the waters with our insurers, lawyers and over time clients. There appeared no major barriers to working in this way. Sometimes with clients we worried that we might be seen as interlopers; other times Christian joked we were the grunt from the big city. But one thing we often noticed was a sort of pride from commissioners that a local firm was involved, but equally the project was important enough that a Sydney firm was also involved. It was a three-way win.

Our only real competitive angle for structuring our fees was that the client shouldn’t have to pay extra to have both practices working on a project. This meant we absorbed the cost of flights and when out of Sydney we slept on the very comfortable Bellingen studio floor – on reflection a very efficient practice.

Many regional centres in NSW are both expanding and being bypassed – a strange paradox. We Sydneysiders all know any number of design professionals who have sought refuge beyond the big smoke. Some find a different culture and expectations. By working collaboratively we have only dipped our toes into these realities in the regions. We did however grasp certain lifestyle benefits on offer and now feel a real connection to this area that we have been fortunate to have worked in.

Neil Mackenzie is a director of Mackenzie Pronk Architects, Sydney. They collaborated with Fisher Design and Architecture, Bellingen on the above design for Jetty4Shores Stage in Coffs Harbour. The bandstand won a commendation for Small Project Architecture in the 2018 Country Division Architecture Awards. Their Jetty4Shores Revitalisation Project with Coffs Harbour City Council also won the Urban Design Award.

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COFFS Harbour’s Jetty4Shores Project upgrade has taken out an architecture award.

The project has received top honours in the Australian Institute of Architects NSW Country Division Awards.

The award for Urban Design went to the Jetty4Shores Revitalisation project by Fisher Design and Architecture with Mackenzie Pronk Architects and Coffs Harbour City Council.

“The project effectively communicates the spirit of place and the genuine community affection for this site,” the jury said.

“The cultural and environmental meanings of the site have been enshrined within the design.”

Coffs Harbour Council Deputy Mayor Tegan Swan said: “The Jetty4Shores project is an outstanding success and has been so well received by locals and visitors alike.

“It’s fantastic to see the project and the work of a local firm, as well as council, receive such amazing recognition from a national peak body.

“Acknowledgement from such a prestigious organisation is a great achievement for all those involved in this major project.”

The awards highlight the value of creating high-quality urban spaces and facilities for regional communities.

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The Coffs Harbour Jetty4Shores project has received top honours in the Australian Institute of Architects NSW Country Division Awards.

The award for Urban Design went to Coffs Harbour’s Jetty4Shores Revitalisation project by Fernmount-based Fisher Design and Architecture with Mackenzie Pronk Architects and Coffs Harbour City Council.

“The project effectively communicates the spirit of place and the genuine community affection for this site,” the jury noted. “The cultural and environmental meanings of the site have been enshrined within the design.”

Local architects Fisher Design + Architecture accepted the award, acknowledging the outstanding collaborative effort of Coffs Harbour Council with local architects, engineers, artists, construction teams, and the community, to revitalise the precinct integrating landscape, art and built form to create places for people to live and engage with each other.

The full citation from the jury reads:

“The Jetty4Shores revitalisation project effectively communicates the spirit of place and the genuine community affection for this site. The cultural and environmental meanings of the site have been enshrined within the design by thoughtful use of materials, careful siting of facilities and meaningful engagement with the public and various design professionals and artists. The location and design of community facilities within a lineal and dynamic landscape is challenging, but this project is well thought out and resolved. The choice of materials and design features respond to their environment and purpose, and further reveal their true colours at night under lights. The necessary upgrading of existing amenities, while often banal, is commendable, as is the integration of art, sculpture and landscape. The stage space has been well sited and its singular roof form representing the flight of the wedge tailed shearwater is a generous and joyful expression of place that serves its purpose as the premier gathering space within the site.”

The Jetty4Shores Stage by Fisher Design and Architecture with Mackenzie Pronk Architects, and engineered by local firm Omeara Wood and Associates, also earned a Commendation for outstanding design in the Small Projects category.

Coffs Harbour Deputy Mayor, Councillor Tegan Swan, said: “The Jetty4Shores project is an outstanding success and has been so well received by locals and visitors alike. It’s fantastic to see the project – and the work of a local firm, as well as council – receive such amazing recognition from a national peak body. Acknowledgment from such a prestigious organisation is a great achievement for all those involved in this major project. A massive congratulations to the team.”

The awards highlight the value of creating high-quality urban spaces and facilities for our regional communities.

“We are thrilled that the Jetty4Shores project has been recognised with these awards,” Christian Fisher said.

“It’s a tribute to all involved, and testament to the value of creative input- the designers, artists, the school students, and the Coffs Harbour City Council project team.”

NSW Chapter President, Andrew Nimmo, congratulated all of this year’s award winners and noted the important contribution the architectural profession as a whole was making to deliver more sustainable, cohesive communities.

“Architects apply design thinking to everything they do in order to do more with less and help clients realise opportunities that they did not know existed,” Mr Nimmo said. “This is just part of the value we describe when we speak of the design dividend, and each year we see the bar raised when it comes to the innovative design solutions and practices architects are implementing across regional NSW.”

Photos: ST Images- Jettys4Shores Revitalisation Project – Coffs Harbour Jetty, by Fisher Design and Architecture with Mackenzie Pronk Architects and Coffs Harbour City Council

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Fisher Design and Architecture had three entries in the awards this year – the Sawtell Surf Life Saving Club Refurbishment, the Jetty4Shore Revitalisation Project, and the Jetty4Shores Stage.

The Urban Design Award was given to the Jetty4Shores Revitalisation Project by Fisher Design and Architecture with Mackenzie Pronk Architects and Coffs Harbour City Council.

The Jetty4Shores Stage by Fisher Design and Architecture with Mackenzie Pronk Architects, was awarded a commendation in the Small Project Architecture category.

Christian Fisher accepted the awards, acknowledging the outstanding collaborative effort of Coffs Harbour Council with the team of architects, engineers, artists, construction contractors, and the community, to revitalise the precinct integrating landscape, art and built form to create places for people to live and engage with each other.

NSW Chapter President, Andrew Nimmo, congratulated all of this year’s award winners and noted the important contribution the architectural profession as a whole was making to deliver more sustainable, cohesive communities.

‘Architects apply design thinking to everything they do in order to do more with less and help clients realise opportunities that they did not know existed,’ said Mr Nimmo. ‘This is just part of the value we describe when we speak of the design dividend, and each year we see the bar raised when it comes to the innovative design solutions and practices architects are implementing across regional NSW.’

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A diverse mix of public projects on Coffs Coast that showcase outstanding architectural design practice are competing for honours in this year’s coveted Australian Institute of Architects’ NSW Country Division Awards, which celebrate the best in architecture from across country NSW.

‘This year’s entries in the NSW Country Awards, which have been running for more than half a century now, ranged from finely crafted small scale projects to large, complex commercial and public buildings,’ said Ashley Dunn, Jury Chair and co-director of Dunn & Hillam Architects.

Sawtell Surf Life Saving Club Refurbishment by Fisher Design and Architecture presented the opportunity to provide much needed revitalisation of the existing site and surf club building, and transform it to create a landmark beachside destination with an iconic public building which celebrates local history, and contributes to its users safety, health, happiness, and wellbeing. The design’s vision is to revitalise the existing Surf Life Saving Club with economy and creativity, establishing a community facility of outstanding design and visual amenity, with inspiring spaces inside and out that are engaging, and provide a positive beachside environment for current and future generations.

Jettys4Shore Revitalisation Project by Fisher Design and Architecture with Mackenzie Pronk Architects and Coffs Harbour City Council is the result of collaboration with local design professionals, artists and the community. A precinct rich in local history and highly valued by residents and tourists, the precinct has been revitalised through integrating landscape, art and built form to create places for people to live and engage with each other. The design features new picnic shelters, a Stage located around the Market Area reflecting the ‘flight of the Wedge-tailed shearwater’, and refurbishment of existing amenities. The new structures are designed with a robust palette of galvanized steel, brightly coloured soffits, and large sectioned timber screening with inscribed images of marine life.

Jetty4Shores Stage by Fisher Design and Architecture with Mackenzie Pronk Architects and Coffs Harbour City Council is a new public performance facility and key component of the Coffs Harbour Jetty4Shores Revitalisation Project. Providing a ‘special place’ for small events and concerts, the two stage structure is designed with flexibility to be dual sided and allow for a range of outdoor professional and community performances. Reflecting the ‘flight of the wedge-tailed shearwater’ the structure is dynamic in form yet built from a simple robust materials palette which responds to the coastal environment and the site’s history, and connects with neighbouring structures and shelters.

Integrating landscape, art and built form, the Stage is lined with timber panelling which provides a richness in texture and colour, and features an artwork by a local school.

C.A.L.M. by Dominic Finlay Jones Architects is an ‘Integrated Council/Arts Hub’ gathering together the gallery, museum and library under the same roof as Council itself in an ambitious civic development. An internal verandah, overlooking a light-filled double-height public atrium, is used to access these services, encouraging incidental exposure to the experiences each institution has to offer. More specialised, secure areas requiring stricter climate control are pushed deeper into the building, hidden behind high thermal mass walls of concrete and local rammed earth. The atrium’s timber canopy roof is the ‘power plant’ of the building, with a network of photovoltaic cells providing power and dappled light to the space below, reminiscent of the Coffs Creek Mangroves. While the building is designed to be an efficient and relatively low-cost structure, a higher concentration of the budget is attributed the gallery, singling it out as the icon of the project.

NSW Chapter President, Andrew Nimmo, said: ‘Across NSW our distinctive coastal and country landscapes provide challenges but also endless opportunities for truly inspiring architectural design. This year’s award entries demonstrate highly attentive responses to landscape as well as innovation and excellence in creative solutions achieved in many cases within constrained budgets.

‘The NSW Country Division Awards showcase architectural skill of the highest order, reminding us that design excellence is flourishing in rural and regional NSW, delivering built environments characterised by nuanced aesthetics and a commitment to sustainability.’

‘It was an honour to be invited to chair this jury and a clear reminder of the extraordinary talent in our profession right across the state,’ added Mr Dunn. ‘The Jury had a tough but enjoyable challenge deliberating over the many high calibre entries.’

These projects are among 28 competing in 12 award categories, including newly introduced categories for Interior Architecture, Urban Design and Educational Architecture. Winners of 11 categories will be decided by a panel of expert judges Alex Dalglish (Somewhere Landscape Architects), Peter Freeman (Peter Freeman Conservation Architects), Oliver Gee (G2 Architects) and Isabelle Toland (Aileen Sage Architects).

The final category is to be decided by members of the public who can show their support for a local, or favourite, project by voting in the People’s Choice Award before midday on Thursday 4 October.

The award winners will be announced at the awards presentation night to be held as part of the NSW Country Division’s Annual Conference on 4 October 2018.

Since its inception in 1960, the NSW Country Division has provided continuous representation and service to NSW regional architects of the Australian Institute of Architects outside the metropolitan areas of Sydney and Newcastle.

The post Coffs Coast projects compete for architectural excellence awards appeared first on Fisher Design & Architecture services Coffs Harbour.

A diverse mix of public projects on Coffs Coast that showcase outstanding architectural design practice are competing for honours in this year’s coveted Australian Institute of Architects’ NSW Country Division Awards.

“This year’s entries in the NSW Country Awards, which have been running for more than half a century now, range from finely crafted small scale projects to large, complex commercial and public buildings,” said Ashley Dunn, Jury Chair and co-director of Dunn & Hillam Architects.

Bellingen-based Fisher Design and Architecture have three entries in the awards this year – the Sawtell Surf Life Saving Club Refurbishment, Jetty4Shore Revitalisation Project, and the Jetty4Shores Stage.

The proposed Sawtell Surf Life Saving Club Refurbishment by Fisher Design and Architecture provides much needed revitalisation of the existing surf club building, transforming a landmark beachside destination and an iconic public building.

The Jetty4Shore Revitalisation Project is the result of collaboration with local design professionals, artists and the community. A precinct rich in local history and highly valued by residents and tourists, the precinct has been revitalised through integrating landscape, art and built form to create places for people to live and engage with each other.

The Jetty4Shores Stage is a key part of the Coffs Harbour Jetty4Shores Revitalisation Project.  Reflecting the ‘flight of the wedge-tailed shearwater’ the structure is dynamic in form and responds to the coastal environment and the site’s history, and connects visually with neighbouring structures and shelters.

An environmentally sustainable design project in Bellingen by Tricia Helyar Architect is also competing in the Affordable Housing category.

Photos: ST Images- Jetty4Shores Stage and shelters by Fisher Design and Architecture with Mackenzie Pronk Architects.

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Roughly six months after the first sod was turned, the long awaited major upgrade of the Jetty Foreshores has opened this week.

Coffs Harbour Mayor Denise Knight and Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker did the honours on Monday with council staff unveiling the $9.2 million stages two and four of the Jetty4Shores Project.

“It’s been a very long journey, 30 years I believe, to actually get some things done down here and it’s taken a huge amount of commitment and leadership from local government and support financially from the Federal Government,” Cr Knight said.

“This brand new precinct is a real game changer for the whole Coffs Coast region.”

“This is all about our community, not just locally but regionally, bringing people here to appreciate the beautiful view that we’ve been hiding for years and years.”

“Now it’s opened up and we want everyone to come down and embrace what we have here.”

The Jetty4Shores upgrade has an open plaza area with stages for events and shelters built at the northern end of Jetty Beach, wide terraced steps with a pram/wheelchair ramp for direct access to the beach and a boardwalk along and behind the dunes linking the plaza to the historic jetty and market area.

With a new stage area (designed by Coffs Harbour Architect Fisher Design and Architecture with Mackenzie Pronk Architetcs), the foreshores are now able to host festivals and community events.

The amenities block has also been extended and upgraded to provide facilities for people with severe disabilities.

Nationals Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker praised the outcome of the works.
“I know that people of Coffs Harbour and visitors alike are going to enjoy coming down here and enjoying the new space,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

“It’s been a long time coming and certainly a fantastic result,” he said.

A special free Jetty4Shores Community Festival will be held on Saturday from 11am to 2.30pm to mark the grand opening of the project.

The fair will feature live music from Luna Grand, face painting and kids’ entertainment along with food stalls and other activities.

Head on down and check out the new Jetty4Shores for yourself.

The post It’s open foreshore appeared first on Fisher Design & Architecture services Coffs Harbour.

The $9.2 million stages two and four of the Jetty4Shores Project, which has been under construction for around six months, has today opened to the public.

Coffs Harbour Mayor Councillor Denise Knight and Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker did the honours with council staff unveiling the foreshores work site.

“This brand new precinct is a real game changer for the whole Coffs Coast region,” said Cr Knight.

The Jetty4Shores has an open plaza area with stages for events and shelters built at the northern end of Jetty Beach.

There are wide terraced steps with a pram/wheelchair ramp for direct access to the beach, a board walk along and behind the dunes linking the plaza to the historic jetty and market area.

The amenities block has been extended and upgraded to provide facilities for people with severe disabilities.

“Without the leadership and commitment of previous and current councillors as well as the overwhelming support of the community we would not now be enjoying this fantastic new regional attraction.

A special free Jetty4Shores Community Festival will be held on Saturday, November 4 from 11am to 2.30pm to mark the opening.

The fair will feature live music from Luna Grand, face painting and kids’ entertainment along with food stalls and other activities.

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