Urban Development
"In realising opportunities for our clients, our integrated team of urban planners and designers, architects, building engineers, infrastructure engineers and environmental consultants create urban development solutions of aesthetic, functional and artistic distinction."
Paul Morris
Urban Development
Business Stream Leader
MASTER PLANNING BENCHMARK FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
In keeping with the Ruler of Dubai’s directive to develop only ‘green’ buildings, EnPark will be one of Dubai’s first master planned communities embodying sustainability principles, which cover land use, urban design, buildings and open spaces.
GHD was commissioned to prepare the EnPark Master Plan and was able to provide a ‘one-stopshop’ service using a team of urban designers, architects, engineers, environmental scientists, landscape architects and GIS specialists from the Middle East and Australia.
EnPark will be an integrated residential, business and recreational community of approximately 43,000 people, including 6,000 residents, covering 80 hectares and focusing on sustainable lifestyles, knowledge and technology.
The master plan features elements such as highly effective and efficient public transport, a connected pedestrian network, dedicated cycle ways, a car free zone, an integrated water and wastewater district cooling irrigation solid waste management system and urban agriculture.
The master planning was completed in mid-2008 and the first phase of the project is scheduled for completion in 2010.
RESPONSIBLE COASTAL DEVELOPMENT
Located near Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales coast, North Sapphire Beach is a nine-stage project that will eventually accommodate 1,400 people. The first three stages of subdivision development are nearing completion.
GHD was engaged by Sapphire Beach Properties to provide the preliminary design for a 267 lot (365 dwelling), master planned residential development for design consent approval, and achieved this within a tight four-month timeframe.
Our experience in water sensitive urban design and water management, as well as our ability to draw on our global network allowed us to expedite the project and address environmental issues. The protection of the coastal wetland adjacent to the site posed a particular challenge and a range of steps were undertaken for the planned protection of this natural asset, including a soil contamination study, groundwater modeling and the preparation of an integrated water cycle management plan.
GHD is progressing the first three stages, providing engineering design of roads and drainage, which includes swales and bio-retention basins, as well as water and sewer reticulation, trunk water and sewer mains, footpaths and cycleways. The team has also completed contract administration and management of stage one, which is now complete, and is providing management of stages two and three, which are under construction.
The project was recently awarded the ‘Best Residential Development’ at the 2008 NSW Urban Development Institute of Australia Excellence Awards.
