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Feature Story
The best kind of meeting place
A one-of-a-kind construction that represents the future of public design, The Yarn in Hunters Hill is so much more than a versatile public space.
WORDS TRACEY PORTER
The magnetism of his physical surroundings is important to a man like Julio Zavagli. Having spent 15 years helping good Opened last October, it is the brainchild of Hunter’s Hill Council whose main goal was to create a space capable of delivering a range of activities from kids story time to village talks, Sydneysiders connect to themselves and the space around them through yoga, the Brazilian-born businessman knows all too well how our physical environment can boost our spiritual and mental wellbeing.
This ethos goes some way to explain why, twice a week every week, he chooses to base himself at an innovative new community hub located just seven kilometres away from the place he calls home.
“The energy in the space is good. People come, they love the practice, they get to know each other. It’s a really cool space,” Julio says.
Opened last October, it is the brainchild of Hunter’s Hill Council whose main goal was to create a space capable of delivering a range of activities from kids story time to village talks, a click and collect library service, as well as rooms for hire.
But while this alone renders it similar to many other municipal buildings, what makes The Yarn’s concept unique is the fact it is also being used as a showpiece of sustainable design after being nationally recognised for its efforts in giving waste materials a new life.
An evergreen future
Hunter Hill Council place and projects manager, Bec Ho, says developing a place of innovation was just one of the many factors driving the concept of The Yarn, which was many years in the making.
“We wanted to create a dynamic, agile and communityaccessible space that embraced and showcased circular economy solutions, as well as taking on more activities beyond that of a traditional library,” she says.
Ho says The Yarn community and library space, located in an arcade on Gladesville Road, is the first step in the council’s plan to embrace the circular economy by pushing the boundaries of what can be done with waste materials and showing how it can be kept in the market longer to extract value, be more sustainable and even catalyse new industries.
It was a two-pronged approach: fit out the physical space with repurposed materials, and also make sharing and reuse services accessible to the community. The space incorporates sustainable and circular innovations in its very bones, including tables and benchtops made from used tiles, glass and recycled textiles.
“We have been able to demonstrate the feasibility of repurposing waste materials,” explains Ho enthusiastically. “The table and benchtop tiles at The Yarn are made from the recycled uniforms of some of our local schools and sporting teams.”
Also included is a Waste Wall that occupies foursquare metres inside the premises. It features a series of cupboards in which community members can drop off a range of items to be given a new life.
Such items can include everything from iPads and tablets to mobile phones, household batteries, plastic lids, bread tags and printer cartridges, which are then passed onto the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) at the University of New South Wales for processing and repurposing. In addition, a 3D printer utilises an e-waste filaments line, where waste plastic is made into filament for 3D printing.
Ho says the council’s efforts in this regard were recognised when it was named Circular Economy Award Winner at the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW 2020 Sustainable Cities Awards.
The library component
The Hunters Hill municipality has been without a library and dedicated community space for 160 years.
Hunters Hill previously had an agreement with the City of Ryde for its residents to utilise its library services. However, in September 2019 - just prior to the agreement expiring in mid-2020 - a library services working group comprising community members, council representatives and the State Library of NSW, looked at library solutions solely for Hunters Hill. Funded as part of the council’s ongoing operating budget, Ho explains how the council moved from having a joint library services agreement with City of Ryde to one with Lane Cove Council. By switching the agreement, it is estimated to have saved local ratepayers up to $500,000 a year.
“That Hunters Hill has never before offered anything like this to the community makes the space unique, as does the flexibility of the service offered. The public can come in to participate in library services events; they can browse the online library catalogue and reserve titles for free and pick them up at their convenience in Hunters Hill,” says Ho.
In addition to being able to access a huge selection of eBooks, audiobooks, eMagazines, eComics and access to film streaming, an extensive eLibrary catalogue is available on the Shorelink Digital Library to members.
“We also have a Local Studies collection, which is a valuable source of information on the environmental, historical, social, cultural and developmental attributes of Hunters Hill,” Ho says. Council staff are also working to make all of the area’s history available online so that is accessible now and in the future, she says.
Expanding group of community programs
Ho says there are currently a range of programs on offer at The Yarn – including storytime aimed at preschools and baby bounce; a program aimed at babies and toddlers.
Village talks are held regularly, as are school holiday programs offering workshops for primary and high schoolaged children encompassing design, robotics, arts and crafts.
The space has also been used for hosting fashion and toy swap meets while the venue was chosen for workshops relating to the recent New South Wales Seniors Festival.
Available for hire as a study and work space for students or professionals and other community members, the hub also offers access to JP services every Thursday.
JP Jamily Lichaa says she loves her time at the hub because she believes it’s a hub thatprovides a service to all people from all demographic and socio-economic statuses. “It’s a great workspace, with an upbeat and stylish vibe. It’s a community gathering place [that] draws all different people.”
To cap that off, it also offers free two-hour parking for visitors; is easily accessible by car and public transport, and is located close to other services such as retail, hospitality, community organisations and schools.
