Desalination Plant provides climate-independent drinking water to Adelaide
At a glance
The Adelaide Desalination Plant provides a climate-independent source of drinking water delivering up to 100 billion litres of water each year, contributing half of Adelaide’s water supply. The supplementary Kauwi Interpretive Centre creates a memorable experience for visitors, with key messages around the importance of desalination, quality water supplies, sustainability and Indigenous heritage.
The challenge
Our team designed a spectacular, yet sensitive, built form, set in the rolling coastal landscape south of Adelaide, working closely with SA Water and the Adelaide Aqua D&C consortium group (Abigroup, McConnell Dowell, Built Environs, Acciona Agua).
Our response
The desalination plant, a state-of-the-art water processing facility, is both major industrial infrastructure and a significant work of public architecture, requiring a consistent architectural language across the site.
Our integrated design approach, encompassing master planning, architecture, landscape design, interior design and graphic and wayfinding design, provided a unified, cohesive and sustainable design that blends into and enhances the existing site.
Building on the intrinsic qualities of the natural coastline to provide a considered response to the environment and natural heritage of the site, the design minimises visual impacts from both close- and long-range views.
The Kaurna Heritage Board was a key collaborator, with their input informing the development of the Visitors Centre and the adjacent Bush Tukka Garden and Boardwalk. The visitors’ journey through interpretive displays culminates in magnificent views across the coast and the nearby Desalination Plant.
The impact
The architectural and landscape design contributes significantly to the successful delivery of the project and the acceptance by the community of this alternative source of drinking water.
The Visitors Centre and educational spaces showcase the Aboriginal cultural connection to Country and the ongoing links to water and sustainability.