MARYSVILLE COMMUNITY HUB

Location

Marysville, Victoria

Client

VBRRA

The development of the Marysville Community Hub is an initiative of the State Government’s Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction & Recovery Authority (VBRRA). Following the devastating Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009, the community of Marysville began a process of reconstruction and rebirth. Together with Spowers Architects, UELA worked to develop bushfire guidelines for the siting of the new Community building and its surrounding landscape. Best endeavours were made to research government authority information to identify ‘low fire risk’ plant species which were native (where possible), suitable for a sub-alpine environment and drought tolerant. Other important landscape guidelines were adhered to. Shrub and groundcover planting (including turf grass) was not allowed close to the building so areas of gravel and paving were included in the design. There was extensive use of stone and rock for mulch to garden beds, the use of timber in the landscape was limited and the location of all new trees were carefully sited with significant setbacks from the building.