2.6 Flinders Rangers National Park
Material Presence At the Flinders Ranges National Park, one of the key issues for National Parks and Wildlife, South Australia was the requirement to reduce ongoing maintenance. In addition, they sought to represent their land management and conservation philosophy through the built elements in the park. Historically, a feature of the park’s facilities was the overriding use of treated pine. This timber, while durable, is soft and often fails due to drying out in the arid environment. The design team evaluated a range of possible alternative materials, looking first at those in the park environment. The palette of local materials was exquisite; burgundy and ochre coloured stone, silver-grey White Cypress Pine, deep brown rusted steel and the enduring shimmer of galvanised iron. These materials, all durable, cost effective and environmentally sustainable (project research was conducted on the sustainability of Cypress Pine) formed the basis of further design work on facilities such as toilets, shelters and signs.
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Above: Materials selected were inspired by both the natural landscape, for example the use of the indigenous cypress pine, as well as built elements such as former stone dwellings, mild and galvanised steel elements used in structures in the former life of the park as grazing land.