The Northshore Riverside Café and Information Centre was conceived to be an exemplar of sustainable architecture and landscape design anchoring the new Riverside Park, the lead-off project setting the standard for future development at the Port of Brisbane’s 80-hectare redevelopment of Northshore (Hamilton). This project was a collaborative design approach between PDT (Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Interior Design), Vivo (Landscape Architecture) and Urban Art Projects (Public Art and Urban Furniture).

As a planned extension to the riverside walkway from the City, the project was required to comply with enhanced guidelines for durability and maintenance in the marine environment, in addition to the typical requirements for full accessibility.

An emphasis on sustainable design within this project was intended to spur future works within the overall redevelopment to better or equal this initial effort. To this end, the Riverside Café and Information Centre was required to adhere to the EnviroDevelop standard.

One of the primary design responses to the sustainability mandate included the use of passive solar and integrated landscape design. The Café and Information Centre has been sited facing the Brisbane River, and turning its windowless yet well insulated back-of-house spaces to the northern sun, while also nestling into the northern sculpted landforms. This choice of site provided the design team with the opportunity to open other aspects up to the environment to a great extent, capturing river views, breezes and reflected daylight. The eastern and western glazed entries were then thoroughly shaded by the cantilevered roof canopy, further reducing solar heat gain. The result is an open and airy space that provides a strong sense of connection to the site.

Additional efforts to improve the buildings environmental integration included solar hot water with gas back-up, rainwater capture and storage, recycled cistern flushing, energy-efficient equipment, an environmentally-focused building management system, energy efficient luminaires, and water-efficient fittings.

PDT Architects' role included key contributions to the master planning of the Riverside Park site, schematic and detailed design for the building and interiors, client and sub-consultant liaison and coordination, as well as advice during the construction period.

Winner - 2009 AILA Queensland Landscape Architecture Award