Spring Bay Mill Ridge Quarters

2022 National Architecture Awards: Sustainable Architecture – Shortlist

Spring Bay Mill Ridge Quarters | Gilby + Brewin Architecture

Traditional Land Owners: Paredarerme (Oyster Bay Nation)

The Ridge Quarters is a group accommodation building that is part of stage 2 of the ongoing 40 ha site-wide regeneration of what was the world’s largest wood chipping facility into a culture and environment focused events venue called Spring Bay Mill. Whilst repairing a deeply damaged site, the project is extending the long human tradition of gathering in an place originally referred to by the Paredarerme people as trayapana.

The building takes cues from simple workers’ or shearers’ quarters where bedrooms are traditionally arranged along a shared corridor or veranda, with common areas for cooking, eating and socialising. The design seeks to avoid the generic nature of hotels and the indulgence of luxury accommodation and instead aims to support a visceral experience of this unique regenerating post-industrial site and the surrounding landscape.

Client perspective:
How does the design benefit the way you live/work/play/operate/educate/other?

The Ridge Quarters is the major ‘new build’ at Spring Bay Mill satisfying the important commercial driver of providing additional accommodation for conferences, cultural events and weddings. In both external appearance and internally, the design continues the industrial theme of the refurbished industrial buildings and spaces at the heart of the Mill experience.
Positioned to compliment the Amphitheatre performance space, the building boasts outstanding views in all directions. It is also integrated into a bold landscape design with extensive native grass, shrub and tree plantings.
“Unique” is a description that can be claimed here without any doubt.

Practice team:

Anna Gilby, Co Designer
Nina Tory-Henderson, Graduate of Architecture
Shing Hei Ho, Graduate of Architecture
Ross Brewin, Project Architect

Builder:

Dillon Builders (onsite) with AJR Construct (prefabrication)

Construction team:

North Barker, Bushfire Consultants
Futago, Wayfinding Signage
EHome AV, Electrical Consultant
Holdfast Building Surveyors, Building Surveyor
Marcus Ragus, Landscape Designer
Andrew Sutherland Consulting Engineers, Services Consultant
Saltmarsh and Escobar Consulting Engineers, Structural Engineer