Modular Amenities Block for CoPP

2020

City of Port Phillip, VIC ∙ Boonwurrung Country

We undertook this project for City of Port Phillip. It is a durable, modular, relocatable public amenities building designed for sport grounds, parklands and the foreshore, comprising three non-gender-specific cubicles and a communal washbasin area.

The building is composed almost entirely of galvanised steel, structurally appropriate for the district’s corrosive salt winds. It can be constructed offsite, reducing waste, and trucked to site in segments. We designed it to be built on interlocking precast concrete panels in two halves, one containing the cubicles and the other containing the communal basin area. Internal fibre-cement wall panels cover insulation. The cubicles are clad in purpose-formed corrugated steel sheet.

Water and energy sensitivities are designed in. The roof has a central box gutter that could be directed to a rainwater collection tank and pump, which could flush the toilets. Space is allocated for an electrical switchboard and inverter, allowing solar panels to be fitted to the roof and wired to LED lights.

The washbasins are situated in front of a glass-block wall, which reduces heat load and provides diffuse light. Like our refurbishment of the Point Ormond Amenities Block, this building is an example of our interest in high-performance modular structures that function as lanterns in their surroundings, inviting public use.