Gloucester
For this project in Gloucester, Modus were involved in replacing an older, outdated brick toilet building spanning back to the 1990s. The older block received community complaints of being unclean, dark, dirty, stinky and feeling unsafe. While constant refurbishments fixed some of these issues in the short term, the council realised that in the long term it would cost more to continue this way, rather than simply replace the asset. As a result, MidCoast Council partnered with Modus to design a steel and aluminium Yarra 2 toilet building that matched the park setting in aesthetics and ensured a long asset life with minimal ongoing maintenance.
Why replace, not refurbish?
While refurbishing the toilet was effective in the short term, the same issues continued to return every couple of years, not to mention the look and feel of the older brick building was only ever going to look dated. Replacing the brick toilet block with our prefab solution won out due to:
- Lower whole-of-life-cost: Our prefab building is durable and robust, ensuring a long lifecycle compared to the endless repairs and refurbishments of the old build. Aluminium features and hot dip galvanised steel ensure a 50+ year design life.
- Better user experience: The new Yarra 2 ensured a clean, well-lit and welcoming experience aligned with CPTED principles. Louvres and gaps beneath the walls keep air moving for natural ventilation and odour control, while LED lighting makes the building feel safe and inviting after dark as well as during the day.
- Easy, low maintenance by design: Practical details like gaps under the walls for easy cleaning, ribbed mini-orb internal walls to deter vandalism and durable, stainless steel fixtures were all considered for easy clean up and deterrence against vandalism.
Refurb or replace? Get the 30-year cost comparison
Design and Colourway
The key with this design was finding a colour scheme that truly matched the bushland park setting while maintaining a warm contemporary aesthetic. The chosen colour scheme and finishes included:
- Colorbond Basalt (charcoal grey) for the cladding, roof, trims, steelwork/columns
- Colorbond Monument for the door trims. This added a subtle but effective touch of difference to the design
- Colorbond Pale Eucalypt for the doors, which blended with the surrounding gum trees and flora of the park
- Spotted Gum Wood-look Aluminium for the louvres, blending with the trees in the environment and giving the overall design a more contemporary look.
Easy, Quick Onsite Installation
Mid-Coast Council were on a fairly tight schedule to get the project finished. Our prefabricated modular panel system really made the difference when on site. With our simple panel system, the building was able to go up in less than 2 weeks. MidCoast mentioned that "the onsite installation was quick and straightforward with minimal disruption". They found the process straightforward with easy to follow installation instructions that meant the amenity building was erected on time, fitting with their schedule.
An Outstanding Result
The Gloucester park now boasts a public toilet building that solves the previous brick toilet block's problems and lifts the surrounding environment. The amenity building is a low maintenance asset that the community can feel safe and happy to use. Modus is proud to have helped Mid-Coast Council turn a long-standing headache into one of the park's better features.