Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Rainforest Discovery Centre

The Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Discovery Centre is a tourism and educational destination located in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland with views over the Glass House Mountains. The Centre nestles sensitively into Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve’s complex notophyll vine forest, one of the last remaining examples of this vegetation community that once covered the Blackall Ranges. In the Rainforest Discovery Centre visitors can learn about the Reserve’s remnant rainforest in its living museum of diverse flora and fauna, even various endangered species, reinforcing its role as a regionally significant centre for conservation, education and partnerships. The architecture is designed to accentuate the site. It provides opportunities for visitors to experience the contrast of the wider views of the mountains to the south, and the more intimate connection to the rainforest to the north and west. It achieves this by framing views and blurring the edge between internal and external spaces. Sustainability guided all aspects of the design, with the majority of the building naturally ventilated and naturally lit. Inspired by the buttress roots that anchor trees to the forest floor, low basalt stone walls ground the building to the landscape as they meander throughout the rainforest. The building, which offers two frontages for views over the Glass House Mountains and the surrounding rainforest, is reached by a long timber boardwalk that loops around to the highest point of the building, allowing scenic access for all visitors and learning opportunities through interpretive signs featured along the way. Sensitive to the heavily protected forest, the boardwalk was carefully re-routed to avoid the structural root-zones of existing trees. To further minimise disruption, only plant species endemic to the area including the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Vine were used through landscaping and imported topsoil, and much was avoided to eliminate the risk of weeds and pathogens. All materials used through the design were either sourced locally, salvaged from the site or repurposed from the existing building. Blurring the line between inside and outside the landscape experience reinforces the Reserve’s character and allows visitors to ‘converse’ with the rainforest in several ways from the rainforest boardwalk and raised outdoor dining space of the new café to the walking tracks and landscape. All spaces mimic the micro-environs of the Reserve to extend the habitat of the Reserve’s fauna. More than 200 reptiles and wildlife were relocated before construction, and the existing man-made pond was retained due to it being a critical habitat for the endangered ‘Tusked Frog’. Sustainable water management involved storage, bio-filtration and natural swales to direct flows, and the stormwater drainage design simulates natural systems to improve the site’s natural hydrology. The landscape design also provides an undercover outdoor seating terrace where the Reserve’s volunteers can educate students and tourists to ensure the natural assets are appreciated and respected. Together the landscape and architecture connect visitors to their natural environment, to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of it, and encourage us all to live more sustainably.