Case Studies
Karratha Vernacular Design Principles

Design Feature

Type of project
Structure Plan, Placemaking
State
Western Australia
Location
Regional
The Karratha Vernacular Design Principles report informs developers of the City of Karratha’s vision. The City, LandCorp and their partners created a new paradigm for development in Karratha. The City acknowledged that current development practices were not securing its transformation from a resource town into a City of the North. The report sets a new benchmark for “beauty” and “excellence” in design, built form and service delivery.
Working to improve public spaces
The purpose of the report is to outline a set of design principles that developers will be required to address when proposing new developments within the city centre and residential estates. Whilst providing a focus on the ‘city core’ and ‘Mulataga’ developments, the Karratha Vernacular Design Principles guide all developments within Karratha. It is an opportunity to create a standard of design for the built form and public realm not previously seen within arid climates in Australia.

The Karratha Vernacular Design Principles report does not provide an exhaustive list of design principles, however it does seek to inform developers of important built form and public realm elements. Currently, the open space network in Karratha does not prioritise the needs of people who wish to enjoy the outdoors. The previous planning of Karratha has led to a traffic-dominated environment, which makes travel by car a necessity. The wide road reserves and expansive car parks, limited tree cover and low building masses create a harsh environment, which is not conducive to walking or relaxing outdoors.

A number of the Karratha Vernacular Design Principles reflect the design features of a healthy active community.

A Town centre should:
  • Seek to incorporate a sequence of public realm spaces, which are conducive to walking and socialising and link with the street network to create an interesting cityscape.
  • Ensure community and roof gardens can be included, especially in the city centre mixed-use developments.
  • Provide elevated spaces on rooftops that commercial developments and private residences can use.

Building design should:


  • Acknowledge the comfortable winter temperatures and help to moderate hot summer temperatures.
  • Have an area open to an outer zone and a sealed inner zone to assist efficient cooling during summer and passive ventilation during winter.
  • Provide evaporative cooling such as external misters, which have a beneficial psychological cooling effect.


Housing diversity should:


  • Be supported by improved access to services and recreation facilities.
  • Be encouraged by ensuring alternative housing solutions, such as dwellings designed for shared housing and smaller dwellings and lots which will decrease living costs for residents within Karratha.
  • Be narrow and promote slow vehicle movements in the town centre.
  • Accommodate a nature promenade link to establish green links to the west of Sharpe Avenue and the creek lines which cut through residential areas providing green infrastructure routes.
  • Ensure the nature promenade will combine play areas, storm water retention and infiltration, artworks, ground cover and tree planting, pathways and cycle routes


Sense of place should:


  • Acknowledge the importance of embracing local community participation to develop public spaces so they truly become spaces for the people of Karratha.
  • Recognise and celebrate local Aboriginal heritage and culture to solidify Karratha’s sense of place.
  • Include community gardens by working with the locals to create a range of public open spaces, which reflect their specific needs, especially the local Indigenous community. 



Project team
  • HASSELL
  • LandCorp
  • City of Karratha

Project Cost
Unknown 
Health Value
  • The guidelines identify that spaces should seek to encourage healthy living (eg. green gyms/allotments) and reflect the landscape vernacular integrating native planting and xeriscape principles.
  • The town centre principles include the need to provide development in the city centre, which will contribute to an active, pedestrian friendly town by providing:
  • Footpaths with pedestrian shelter for shade and protection from the rain,
  • Buildings at a pedestrian scale, up to four storeys in height,
  • Regular openings (windows and doors) to ground floor tenancies such as shops and restaurants to encourage pedestrian movement through a space,
  • Opportunities for alfresco dining on the footpath, and
  • Shading devices attached to building facades to provide sun protection.

Economic value
  • For much of the year, Karratha enjoys a pleasant climate and buildings should apply passive controls to moderate temperature, and resort to active energy-based cooling systems only when the passive controls cannot ensure comfort. The design guidelines identify that passive building design imposes the lightest load on the ecosystem, consumes less energy and produces less waste.
  • Karratha has a low proportion of owner-occupiers (37%) compared to regional Western Australia (66%) and Perth (73%). This is attributable to mining industry businesses providing houses at subsidised rates to their employees. This in itself is not a negative element, although it diminishes the emotional ties residents may have to Karratha. To increase home ownership rates, residents must want to stay in Karratha for longer periods. The design guidelines will help to achieve this by supporting improved amenity and health outcomes.

Environmental Value
  • The viability of wind power in Karratha is up to 20% greater than in Perth. The average wind speed for Karratha is 4.8 metres per second and 60 turbines could power around 4500 homes. The design guidelines identify that wind power should be considered for Karratha in suitable locations that do not cause excessive noise pollution. Tilt-down turbines are available for cyclone prone regions and can withstand winds up to 250 kilometres per hour.
  • Karratha’s low rainfall, clear skies and long daylight hours are conducive to promoting solar as an alternative energy source. Karratha has an average solar irradiation of 6.62 kWh/m²/day, which is 24% higher than Perth. It would require only 3kW of cells on each roof to power 4500 homes. The design guidelines require photovoltaic cells be considered for all development proposals.
  • The design guidelines establish xeriscaping principles, which are to:
  • Design landscape with appropriate proportions of hard landscape versus lawn and groundcover planting,
  • Reduce the size of, or exclude, lawns and encourage larger areas of gravel and hard landscape to minimise extensive groundcover zones,
  • Ensure any irrigation is of the sub-surface leaky pipe variety and not mist sprays,
  • Use mulch to keep soils moist and limit water loss due to evaporation,
  • Use water-wise plants which are native to the locality, and
  • Consider water use in a precinct wide perspective.

Social value
  • The use of solar photovoltaic cells and wind power in Karratha would positively contribute to a sense of community. For example, to completely power Mulataga’s 4500 homes (over the long term) approximately 60 turbines would be required in an area of around 9 hectares. If turbines were complemented by 2kW photovoltaic cells on 4500 rooftops, only 20 turbines would be required to reach carbon neutrality.
  • To preserve levels of amenity the design guidelines state that wind turbines should be at least 500 metres from sensitive land uses such as residences to ensure there is no noise pollution.

Use value
The design guidelines identify ways to improve the liveability of spaces in Karratha by reducing ceiling temperature:

  • Using a reflective roof surface
  • Having a separate ceiling
  • Ensuring adequate ventilation of the ceiling space
  • Using reflective surfaces both for the underside of the roof and for the top of the ceiling
  • Using resistive insulation for, or on, the ceiling.
  • The Pilbara is prone to severe tropical cyclones. The Building Code of Australia classifies Karratha as a Region D environment, where buildings must be designed to withstand extreme winds and pressure differentials. The design guidelines identify that buildings must be designed to withstand cyclonic forces, but should also exhibit beauty and a sense of place.


References
Karratha Vernacular Design Principles, 2011

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