Blacktown Sports Club was expanding with four new sporting fields and needed a pedestrian bridge to...
- Client
- Dartwest
- Project Partners
- Distinctive Living Design
- State
- New South Wales
Custom bridge modifications deliver the perfect community connection.
FORGE (formerly Fleetwood Urban) was specified into a competitive tender by landscape architects Distinctive Living Design at Gregory Hills – a residential community being developed by Dartwest in south-west Sydney.
The tender was successful and we subsequently worked with Distinctive Living Design to deliver three pedestrian bridges at the heart of the new community, one of them connecting the Gregory Hills shopping centre to the main playground, and the others installed in other locations to provide vital connections within the community.
The winning solutions featured a series of bespoke modifications to our off-the-shelf Balmoral™ bridge system, including custom handrails and LED strip lighting.
Our involvement.
FORGE (formerly Fleetwood Urban) was engaged through the landscape architects, Distinctive Living Design. They initially came to us with sketches for three new pedestrian bridges at Gregory Hills and asked if they could specify our Balmoral™ product in their tender documentation. We agreed, and when they were subsequently awarded the project by Dartwest, we were sub-contracted to deliver the structure using our proprietary project methodology.
The final structures were quite similar – the main difference being two of the bridges were straight, while the other featured a gradual curve.
Design Challenge
It was essential for our design team to capture the essence of the initial concept sketches from the landscape architects. To do it, we needed to carefully modify our Balmoral™ off-the-shelf product in such a way that the completed structures perfectly reflected the design intent.
Construction Challenge
Installation methodology was the greatest challenge for the bridges, as we needed to complete everything around the wider project schedule at Gregory Hills. Specifically, we couldn’t access the sites until the civil engineers had left – and we had to be out before the landscape contractors arrived.
Fortunately, we were able to successfully accomplish the tight turn around as the landscape architects brought us on board early, allowing us to have everything ready for the install well before time.
Innovations
The landscape architects wanted a distinctive design for the bridges that was functional, but also looked good.
To achieve their vision, we came up with an innovative mix of materials that gave both bridges a visual ‘wow’ factor. This included a galvanised sub structure, Coreten posts, FRP decking, stainless steel balustrade and customised stainless handrails, all finished with eye-catching LED strip lighting.
Features
- Coreten posts
- LED strip lighting
- Curved design
Sustainability Considerations
Classed as a ‘brownfield development’, the Gregory Hills site was ex-industrial and quite bare. With no existing habitats, flora or fauna to preserve, the sustainability focus was firmly on the future rather than the past – and delivering the most efficient and durable structures possible for the new community to enjoy.
