Developer Sekisui House has commissioned Hassell Studio to undertake the masterplanning of the proposed Yaroomba Beach site on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
The masterplan includes the architecture, and landscape architecture, and will be for an integrated, mixed-use community surrounded by dune buffers and vegetation.
The overall vision, says Sekisui House, includes the Westin Coolum Spa and Resort - the first five-star resort developed on the Sunshine Coast in 30 years and includes an integrated conference and events space that will be designed as “an exemplar of sustainable and ecologically sensitive design that respects the natural character and environment of the area,” according to a statement from the firm.
Embedded throughout the masterplan will be a “series of design principles informed by the Sunshine Coast’s landscape and highlighting the unique qualities the locality evokes,” according to Hassell.
Hassell principal Kevin Lloyd says the proposed development Yaroomba Beach has the potential to create a precinct of regional and state importance, allowing the possibility of attracting major events to the region.
“This will, in turn, provide employment and economic growth to the area,” he says.
Yaroomba Beach is on track to become Australia’s first 5 Star Green Star ecotourism resort, according to some ecotourism industry experts.
“We have designed a building that is understated and more of a natural extension of the landscape and the character of the Sunshine Coast. It sets a new benchmark for the architectural expression of the region – a building that embraces the local vernacular and evolves this to create a new exemplar,” Lloyd says.
