How suburban Springfield created the world’s best commuter park-and-ride
Springfield Central Park ‘n’ Ride was recognised on a global platform, after being awarded in the Rail/Transit category at the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Global Best Project Awards.
The US magazine ENR honoured 31 winning projects from 23 countries in the awards, which were judged by a panel of industry leaders based on a criteria of quality, innovation and safety, teamwork, collaboration and benefits to local communities.
Springfield Central Park ‘n’ Ride, which opened to the public in May 2022, was given an Award of Merit for its innovative design, striking visual impression and accessibility.
The multi-storey park-and-ride facility was designed by GHD Design and GHD for the Queensland Department of Main Roads, with ADCO as the construction contractor. The $44.5 million project has five parking levels, bringing customer parking spaces across Springfield Central Station to more than 1000 spaces. This upgrade was part the Palaszczuk Government’s $160 million park-and-ride upgrade program.
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The design of the parking structure is based on circular economy design principles, enabling adaptation in the future so that the embodied carbon is held over a longer building lifespan. If the site’s parking needs change, the structure can be adapted for retail and commercial purposes in a staged fashion. Provision for future electric vehicle charging has also been included to aid the transition away from fossil fuels.
Located on a constrained triangular site, the facility responds to the site conditions with a triangular form and innovative double-helix ramp design. The rigorously tested double-helix ramp maximises the efficiency of vehicle circulation and the floor plate uses the most efficient layout per square metre.
“Rather than creating an ordinary parking structure, the Springfield Central Park ’n’ Ride seeks to elevate the everyday. The distinctive building creates a striking visual impression on the skyline, functioning as an urban wayfinding marker at the highway entrance to the Greater Springfield area,” says GHD Design Architect Bowen Lahdensuo.
Springfield Central Park ‘n’ Ride was also recognised earlier in the year at the Queensland Major Contractors Association awards.
