Alice Springs Water Reclamation Plant architect awarded and commended by Royal Australian Institute of Architects NT

12 June 2008

Officially opened in May, the Water Reclamation Plant is the ‘engine room’ of the Alice Springs Water RE-Use project that will produce 600 million litres of recycled water a year.

Power and Water congratulates local architect Brendan Meney on the Alice Springs Water Reclamation plant receiving the Colorbond® Award for Steel Architecture and a Commendation for public Architecture, in the recent Royal Australian Institute of Architects, NT (RAIANT) Awards.

The Institute described the Plant as marking “a major shift in sewage treatment and water conservation in Central Australia. It sets innovative environmental standards in waste processing and industrial building design, and offers community awareness programs and landscape research opportunities.

“The architect has pursued a design which reinforces its industrial context in a poetic and cost effective manner utilising consistent curved custom orb forms, angled portal frames and rolled pipe to create visual softness and movement rarely associated with this type of construction. The Jury was heartened that a public utility such as the Power Water Corporation should target good design with innovative ESD features where the utilitarian requirements of business as usual normally prevail. The Jury was unanimous in applauding these initiatives and the bold design interpretation by the architect”.

The Colorbond® Award for Steel Architecture recognises projects in which steel products play a significant role in the architectural solution and which exemplify innovation in the use of steel products.

The RAIA said “The architect has provided legibility to the building functions in a series of sheds or pavilions which utilise curvilinear and rectilinear shapes with sympathetic structure. This has evoked innovative and distinctive forms which could only be achieved through the use of steel and steel products. The Jury was impressed by the range of steel components - an unusual architectural pallet - which comprise the suite of buildings. The resultant ensemble of building forms sits beautifully within the Alice Springs landscape and exemplifies a fresh and interesting take on an a variety of steel products available.”

(photographs by Brendan Meney)

Contact:
Judie Brennan,
Media Manager
04101 117 599