The Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Rainforest Discovery Centre is nestled on the Reserve’s subtropical rainforest and overlooks the exceptional Glasshouse Mountain views. The brief for this project was very specific while in keeping with the natural surrounds of the environment and the site’s indigenous history.

The majority of the materials used in the construction of the project were sourced locally. The building walls were clad in locally sourced Blue stone which we handpicked and the external meandering walls are pitched in Maleny bush rock excavated from a local farm. Great care was taken to cultivate existing soil and reuse materials such as stones and logs, soil, mulch and leaf litter to reduce potential introduction of pests and diseases into a highly sensitive area. No new soil was allowed to be introduced and all mulch was screened to remove potential weed seeds before being spread around. The project consisted of stone tiling with bluestone crazy pave and two types of bluestone tiles in 3 different sizes.

Landscape Design – Guymer Bailey Architects