The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinarsUrbanity
Industry Excellence
Urban Leader
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
Urban Leader Awards Logos RGB White
NOMINATIONS CLOSE SEPTEMBER 12 RECOGNISING THE INDIVIDUALS BEHIND THE PROJECTS
NOMINATIONS CLOSING SEPTEMBER 12 URBAN LEADER AWARDS
LEARN MOREDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
print
Print
EducationTaryn ParisWed 30 Nov 22

Architectural Coral Ark Nabs Honours

A Contreras Earl Architecture designed Coral Biobank has been awarded an Energy Globe Award as a national leader in sustainable design.

The mushroom coral-inspired building, aimed for completion in 2026 in Port Douglas, would house up to 800 species of hard corals, which are under threat of bleaching. 

The concept design features undulating concrete fins clustered closely at ground level to offer protection from adverse tropical conditions, including the threat of flooding. 

The building will operate as an education and research facility with capacity for hosting events, according to Contreras Earl Architecture’s director Monica Earl who spoke with The Urban Developer about this project earlier this year. 

“When ‘The Living Coral Biobank’ brief presented itself to us, we recognised a project that was incredibly motivating to us as designers,” Earl said.

“This purpose-designed facility aims to secure the biodiversity and long-term survival of the Great Barrier Reef and coral reefs worldwide. 

“While the corals are the primary user of the Biobank, our ambition is also to create a beacon for environmental awareness.”  

null
▲ The world-first Coral Biobank will preserve up to 800 species of hard coral from the Great Barrier Reef.


Contreras Earl Architecture has been engaged on a number of futuristic design concepts, recently designing a VTOL vertiport.

Earl said they preferred to take on the more ambitious projects. 

“We are often asked the question about our preferred project typology,” she said.

“As a practice we believe that it is not about the scale of the project but the scale of the ambition of the project.”

The Coral Biobank is being designed with the Great Barrier Reef Legacy, ARUP and Warner Sobek to create the world-first facility under the UN Sustainable Development Goals for best practice social and environmental outcomes. 

The Great Barrier Reef Legacy is undertaking expeditions to collect coral species, which would eventually be housed in the coral ark at Port Douglas when it is completed in 2026. 

EducationAustraliaArchitectureSector
AUTHOR
Taryn Paris
More articles by this author
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Stockland bumps up its apartment pipeline in melbourne and sydney
Exclusive

Stockland Re-Enters Density in $5bn Apartment Play

Renee McKeown
4 Min
Woolloongabba Precinct Vulture St
Exclusive

Brisbane Developer in Cross River Rail Compensation Tussle

Clare Burnett
4 Min
The Mondrian Gold Coast hotel's food and beverage is driving profits
Exclusive

Touch, Taste, Theatre: What’s Driving Mondrian’s Success

Renee McKeown
6 Min
Fortis’ display suites are designed as brand environments first, with tactile details and curated design to build buyer confidence before project specifics.
Exclusive

Relevant or Redundant: Will Tech Kill Display Suites?

Vanessa Croll
7 Min
Exclusive

Missing Heart: Why The Gold Coast Needs a CBD

Phil Bartsch
7 Min
View All >
Stockland bumps up its apartment pipeline in melbourne and sydney
Exclusive

Stockland Re-Enters Density in $5bn Apartment Play

Renee McKeown
Aerial view of Caboolture and Bruce highway to Brisbane with Bribie Island Road crossing, Queensland, Australia
Policy

Queensland’s $2bn Push Opens New Housing Front

Vanessa Croll
JQZ Parramatta EDM
Residential

JQZ Plots 10-Storey Addition to Parramatta ‘Auto Alley’ Plans

Clare Burnett
The Sydney developer is pushing ahead with a project it picked up following the collapse of Dyldam in 2020....
LATEST
Stockland bumps up its apartment pipeline in melbourne and sydney
Exclusive

Stockland Re-Enters Density in $5bn Apartment Play

Renee McKeown
4 Min
Aerial view of Caboolture and Bruce highway to Brisbane with Bribie Island Road crossing, Queensland, Australia
Policy

Queensland’s $2bn Push Opens New Housing Front

Vanessa Croll
2 Min
JQZ Parramatta EDM
Residential

JQZ Plots 10-Storey Addition to Parramatta ‘Auto Alley’ Plans

Clare Burnett
3 Min
South Melbourne social housing precinct
Affordable & Social Housing

South Melbourne Housing Precinct Revamp Takes Next Step

Leon Della Bosca
2 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/coral-biobank-energy-globe-award-port-douglas