A new $1.4m glasshouse has been opened at the North Coast Regional Gardens in Coffs Harbour providing a fit-for-purpose facility to curate, preserve and display tropical and sub-tropical plant species while supporting research and education.
The glasshouse has been funded with a $597,300 grant from the NSW Government’s Crown Reserves Improvement Fund, as well as a $782,096 grant from the Federal Government and the balance from Coffs Harbour City Council.
The gardens, located on a Crown land reserve, are a regional paradise that attract more than 90,000 people each year.
The new glasshouse, designed by local firm GHD as a centrepiece of the botanic garden, includes a tropical house and shade house including the following features:
- Temperature and ventilation is controlled in the tropical house by a passive, energy-efficient system that uses the sun, thermal heat storage in stone walls and pathways, and computer-controlled louvre vents. Temperature is maintained at 32 degrees assisted by a nine-kilowatt heating system in winter.
- The roof and some walls are fitted with special gel-coated ‘webglas’ to reduce heat loss, with watering of plants provided by a micro spray system.
- The adjacent shade house displays the garden’s extensive bromeliad and orchid collections along with a wide range of ferns and shade-loving species. They are kept cool and damp by the roof, natural air flow, a drip irrigation system and undersoil drainage.
- The foyer area is designed as a flexible space to accommodate educational visits and events.
Members of Coffs Harbour’s Friends of the Botanic Garden assisted with the establishment of plants in and around the new facility.
“The glasshouse is a fantastic addition to the many different experiences the garden offers visitors all year round,” Garden curator Rick Ackland said.
“It’s a futuristic and very attractive building that showcases some of our shyest exhibits to perfection.”
Glasshouse at the North Coast Regional Garden at Coffs Harbour
