Cottee Parker in association with Bloc Design, is partnering with Fraser Coast Regional Council to deliver their new Library and Council Administration Centre. The community will be at the core of this 5 level development in the Hervey Bay City Centre, featuring a large, regional library, customer service center, chambers and executive areas, Disaster Resilience Centre and council administration facilities.

The design is inspired by the region’s connection to water. K’gari (previously called Fraser Island) is the protector of Hervey Bay and the Great Sandy Straits. It provides the environment for the region to flourish, for the waters to be rich, and for lands to be fertile and abundant. Our design embraces the foundational influence that K’gari holds in the region. Just like K’gari, the building forms a protective shoulder to the elements, opening to a vibrant green heart at its centre. As a vital piece of community infrastructure, its role as guardian of community values and enabler for future ambitions is fundamental to the design strategy.

The ground floor service centre is based upon a concierge model Customer Service Centre, with the introduction of self-service counters and intimate booth settings alongside the traditional counter and meeting room offer to create a more approachable and inclusive experience for visitors and offers multiple ways to engage with Council.

The library and community hub will be a vibrant and dynamic place for the region. Its focus on meeting the needs of a various ages and backgrounds, including cultural, learning and recreational programs integrated into the design.

Level 2 comprises facilities shared by community and council equally and includes the Council Chamber, which has been designed to accommodate flexible use for multiple functions including multiple floor boxes and chamber furniture designed for ease of disassembly and reassembly.

On this same floor, the Disaster Resilience Centre (comprising briefing rooms, control rooms and specialist division meeting rooms) has been designed for flexible use as training and meeting rooms available for council and external community use when in “stand down mode”. This satisfies the project objective to get the most use of all community spaces as often as possible.

The staff café on level 2 provides an equally shared space for remote FCRC depot staff, Maryborough staff and resident staff to use in the Hervey Bay CBD. It is also designed to be used for weekend / out of work hours functions through opening to the pre-function and chamber spaces adjacent.

The administration function on level 3 & 4, incorporated extensive consultation to adopt a Hybrid Activity Based Workplace Strategy. A diverse range of workplace styles and breakout spaces were provided, with flexibility and adaptability critical to this design.