The Sydney Harbour YHA

Case Study : The Sydney Harbour YHA

The Rocks area

The Rocks is the oldest district of Sydney and, arguably, one of its most important in terms of the city’s European settlement history. Dating back to the 1790s CE, The Rocks was a mainly convict area where they and their families built their homes. Archaeological evidence from what is now known as The Big Dig site suggests the convicts living here had a far better standard of living than their counterparts did back in Britain and Ireland. The Rocks grew rapidly and, by 1900, it was an area characterised by tightly-packed housing (see picture below) leased by the lower-skilled, working classes. The area was frequently referred to in official reports and sensationalised by journalists as a dirty slum.

Today the area contains many buildings dating back to the early 19th century and includes several historical museums, including the Susannah Place Museum and The Rocks Discovery Museum. Because of its historical importance to Sydney, great care has been taken to preserve its buildings and the wider neighbourhood.

Of course, Australia was occupied tens of thousands of years before European sailors started to circumnavigate, then land on its continent. In most instances ancient, indigenous populations do not leave heavy traces of their occupation and management of the landscape. However archaeological excavations nearby to The Rocks have, for example, revealed a camp fire dating to the 1400s CE, which evidenced many meals of snapper fish and rock oysters.

© UTS:CAREERS with UTS FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND IT 14-Feb-14 1 From its earliest European settlement until relatively recently, The Rocks held a reputation as a dangerous place. Already regarded to be a hotbed for thievery, prostitution and disease, in 1910 there was an outbreak of the bubonic plague in Sydney. It was assumed that The Rocks would be hard hit though, as it happened, only three people died of plague there. As late as the 1960s some Sydneysiders thought the neighbourhood too violent to visit because of its rough, working class reputation.

These days Sydneysiders avoid The Rocks not because they feel it is dangerous but because it is so clogged with tourists. Adjacent to busy Circular Quay ferry terminal and train station, there are numerous locations in The Rocks from where you can see both Sydney’s iconic structures – the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. It is home to other major attractions too, such as the Sydney Theatre Company whose artistic directors recently included the well-known actor Cate Blanchett. The district is known by some in the Sydney tourism industry as The Golden Triangle and is sought after by hotel chains and high-end shops because, even in times of recession, businesses here can be very profitable. For most visitors, The Rocks seems to be one of the one must-see areas of the city, a situation enhanced by many of the huge, visiting cruise ships dropping off their affluent customers only a few metres away at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, close to the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Development trends in the area suggest that, whilst The Rocks will continue to maintain its historical flavour, it will also continue its move upmarket – expensive hotels, restaurants and cultural venues replacing lowbrow tourist shops and run-down residences. The challenge for the city is to retain the distinctive roots and character of the Rocks, maintaining its unique diversity, while still allowing favourable and profitable development to take place.

Hostelling and the YHA movement

The Youth Hostels Association (YHA) is part of Hostelling International (HI), an international organisation which originated in Germany to provide affordable accommodation for students and young travellers. Globally, YHA is a not-for-profit organisation which reinvests its surplus in the maintenance and improvement of existing hostels, as well as the development of new ones. It is a member-based organisation which offers discounted rates for its members, currently three million worldwide, though non- members are also made welcome.

Although, as mentioned, youth hostels have been around for over 100 years, they only started to become really popular with international travellers in the 1970s, thanks to affordable international air travel. Since then hostels have expanded all over the globe, generally as places where a young traveller or backpacker can find cheap, safe, shared accommodation. The YHA aims to encourage a sense of communal

© UTS:CAREERS with UTS FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND IT 14-Feb-14 2 responsibility – for example, after doing your own cooking in the communal kitchens, you are expected to clean up afterwards, all of which helps keep costs down.

Hostels are often concentrations of young, single travellers, something which can lead to a bad reputation with neighbours who can complain of loud, drunken, late-night parties. Because of this, they are sometimes not perceived as being family-friendly, or suitable for older travellers. To combat such a negative impression, a number of hostels have taken measures such as enforced lock-outs at midnight, or have introduced family rooms in areas away from shared dormitories.

The Sydney Harbour YHA and the Big Dig

The Sydney Harbour YHA Hostel – such accommodations are commonly referred to simply as ‘a YHA’ – opened in 2009, one hundred years since HI was founded.

Although it is the only true, budget accommodation available in the immediate vicinity of The Rocks, the Sydney Harbour YHA sets its prices above what other hostels in Sydney typically charge. Thus the YHA attracts a client base which, within the industry, is sometimes referred to as flashpackers – backpackers willing to pay extra for a higher-quality experience. It has excellent facilities including wi-fi, large communal lounge and kitchen areas, as well as organised activities both within the hostel and to sites of interest in Sydney. Its main attraction is the rooftop terrace which offers a panoramic view across Sydney Harbour, including Circular Quay, the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge (see picture above).

Interestingly, the present YHA building sits directly above of an archaeological site which, since excavations began in 1994, became known as The Big Dig. This large, open-air excavation (see picture below) uncovered over 30 homes dating from 1795 to 1901. Artefacts discovered at this site have provided a valuable insight into the lives of those who lived in The Rocks during that period. Before construction of the hostel, the archaeological dig was open for public viewing from Cumberland and Gloucester Streets – contributing to ongoing public interest in the value of site.

Tendering for the site

In 2006, the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) opened the site for development by calling for tender proposals. Given the prime location and potential for harbour views, the competition was intense.

Interestingly, the YHA hostel proposal was awarded the tender ahead of other, high-end hotel and developer-driven, exclusive residential proposals. The architectural firm who drafted the YHA’s proposal, Tzannes Associates, worked closely with archaeologists and historians from The Big Dig and from SHFA in order to ensure its proposal carefully addressed the particular needs and concerns. Specifically, it was successful because it showed great sensitivity to the unique history of the site and an imaginative architectural approach to overcoming the site’s conservation challenges. As will be seen below, the ideas proposed for site sustainability closely mirrored the views of Sydney City Council, the local government council with responsibility for The Rocks area. What’s more, the bid displayed a genuine enthusiasm for educating visitors about the Rocks more broadly; this it has achieved via publicly opening the historic laneways and through the creation of The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre – a facility supported by Sydney Harbour YHA to introduce the general public to the historical significance of The Big Dig site and surrounding area.

Major architectural and construction challenges

The main challenge faced by the architects was SHFA’s desire that archaeological excavation, or as much of it as possible, remain visible and accessible to the public. In addition there was the requirement that, as much as possible, the delicate remains of the site be left untouched by the construction process. The solution was to build most of the YHA building on stilts. This allowed 85 per cent of the original excavation site to be publicly visible, as well as reducing the risk that any damage would be caused.

With this innovative solution came incredible design and construction obstacles. Because the stilts needed to be placed in very specific and sensitive locations across the excavation site, the YHA building needed mostly to be manufactured and assembled off-site. Only later was it lowered in sections onto the stilts, via simultaneous use of two cranes. This decision also meant that the weight of the building nedeed to be

© UTS:CAREERS with UTS FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND IT 14-Feb-14 4 strictly limited, so as not to overburden the stilts. In turn this meant limiting the amount of concrete which could be used, resulting in the decision to proceed with an all-steel construction framework.

Building the steel framework off-site also meant that damage caused by vibration and jarring could be mitigated. In order to reduce the risk of damage from chemical leaks or falling objects during construction, a catchment platform was built directly over the archaeological dig. Obviously this was not the cheapest way for a developer to construct a building however, once again, such measures clearly demonstrated that the tender winners understood the historical value of the site was more important than solely minimising costs.

In 2011 the Sydney Harbour YHA development won a Jury Commendation for Innovation – an award for cultural heritage conservation from UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in the Asia-Pacific). Globally, it is the only hostel ever to have received this award.

Public versus private space, liability etc.

One of the most imaginative elements of this project is the way in which it deals with potential conflict between public and private space. As previously mentioned SHFA wanted the original, archaeological site to continue to be visible to the public. However, as an operating business, the YHA needed to ensure the privacy and safety of its guests and employees. Ultimately, the successful development proposed a workable compromise. The hostel would be built over two re-opened, historic laneway – named Carahers and Cribbs Lanes – which would remain accessible to the public daily, from dawn until dusk. In this way the public could walk freely underneath the hostel, view the site and read the information panels which the YHA would put up concerning the history of The Rocks and The Big Dig site. However from dusk until dawn the gates to the laneways would be locked shut to help protect the site. Though the space under the hostel itself is open to the public during the day, the YHA is responsible for maintaining it and bears legal liability should an accident occur there. This arrangement demonstrates the risks and potential expense which the organisation is willing to take, in order to meet its public responsibilities.

As a result of its tender success, the YHA now enjoys a 99-year lease at a comparatively low level of rent. It regards its public education efforts as a core part of that commitment. Because of the proximity of the

© UTS:CAREERS with UTS FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND IT 14-Feb-14 5 hostel to the Susannah Place Museum, it is anticipated The Big Dig Education Centre will play a part in increasing visits to the upper Rocks area and what is now an historical precinct.

Sustainability

Though the YHA has several other purpose-built (so-called) eco-hostels in Australia, these are all located in rural areas and this was their first in an urban setting. To support the design and implementation of the project, the organisation therefore brought in a team from an environmental sustainability consultancy, Team Catalyst, to ensure that the final building would be at the cutting edge.

In order to conserve electricity the building employs natural light as well as heating / cooling system. The guest rooms use a keycard system, so lights and air conditioning are used only when a guest is actually present. Rainwater tanks with a capacity of 80,000 litres are used for flushing toilets. The building utilises low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), also low formaldehyde construction materials, rubber flooring from sustainable sources and no-spill external lighting. As a result it has been awarded numerous awards for sustainability, including the 2011 BPN Sustainability Award for the Best Small Commercial Property in Australia.

Neighbours and the Public

When plans were announced to install the area’s first youth hostel, some local residents of The Rocks expressed concerns. It was assumed by some that hosting backpackers in the neighbourhood would mean loud parties and other street noise, not to mention litter, parking and other problems imported into the area.

A contributing reason for this was the generally low, public reputation of real estate development in and around the CBD (i.e. Sydney central business district, or city centre). Put bluntly, Sydneysiders (as locals are sometimes referred to) can be cynical about their elected representatives, or other planning bodies with less accountability, appearing to prioritise private financial advantage over the protection of the public amenity. This view stems from the city having a long history of reportedly corrupt real estate deals ... and then there are developments which may have proved profitable, but are thought inappropriate. One example sits just across Circular Quay from the YHA hostel. Despite completion back in 1998, for some Sydneysiders and visitors alike the Bennelong Apartments remain an unpopular construction; the building retains its nickname ‘The Toaster’ because of its look (see picture below), considered unsuitable for a location adjacent to the world-famous Sydney Opera House.

© UTS:CAREERS with UTS FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND IT 14-Feb-14 6 In light of such perceived insensitivities it was the YHA’s intention that its own commitment to design and consultation would, over time, be viewed positively. Before it received official approval, and while construction was underway, the organisation held informational barbeques for locals to answer their questions and to ensure they understood exactly what sort of hostel they planned to build and who the target customers were. As a result they claim that the response from nearly everyone in the area has been largely positive.

Another initiative has seen the YHA trying to promote other local businesses to their guests. For example they have group discount agreements with a number of tour operators, such as jet boating on Sydney Harbour, as well as promoting information about local museums, galleries, restaurants and pubs; the Australian Hotel next door to the hostel, for example, has offered discounts to hostellers presenting their YHA membership card.

Regulations

Construction is heavily regulated in Australia, generally speaking. You may be surprised to learn that the expansion of a private house, sometimes even the remodelling of an internal room, will usually require council or other approvals before work can start.

In part, this regulatory environment arises from Australians being safety- and environmentally-conscious relative, at least, to certain other parts of the world perhaps. Council approval is a mechanism which, in principle, allows responsible development to occur with the consent – or at least without reasonable objection – by neighbours and other stakeholders. Various additional pieces of legislation and other regulations address areas including safety, health, environmental or historical impact. As shown in this case study, sustainability is increasingly a subject for serious consideration in the practice of architects, engineers and other professionals. A team of architects and engineers intending to tender for a project along the lines of the YHA would typically need to include in project documentation a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment, leading to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Perhaps, now, you can begin to picture how extensive were all the regulatory and other hurdles which the Sydney Harbour YHA project needed to overcome?