Offering an immersive, pedagogical landscape and sanctuary experience, the Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre design proposal comprises a regenerated wetland ecology, nature trails, landscape lookout structures, and visitor, education and research facilities.

Developed in collaboration with the Traditional Owners, the Bunurong Land Council, and multiple strategic partners and stakeholders, the vision for the Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre is for a place where people can connect with nature to improve health and wellbeing and be inspired to care for the precious natural environment.

The purpose-built Wetlands Centre is set within the unique, natural habitat of Melbourne’s inner western suburbs, amidst a transforming, largely industrial landscape.

The design vision celebrates this significant setting through a proposal that incorporates regenerative, climate resilient and biophilic design principles within a range of facilities and services oriented towards the needs of health and recreation, and natural environment education, research and conservation.

The design principles are supported by ephemeral wetland and landscape features, connecting visitors to the adjacent Truganina Park and Cheetham Wetlands in order to create a unique ­­­­­visitor and learning experience.

Considered visitor journey experiences and connections throughout the site celebrate the landscape as the primary element, while the architecture of the proposed Visitors Centre, Lookout Platform and Research Cluster, support this approach and the transformation of the site into an economically beneficial eco-tourism destination for Melbourne’s west.

Progress of the centre development is based on key collaborative partnerships, including an MOU based partnership between Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre Inc, Council, Deakin University, Melbourne Water, Greater Western Water, Ecolinc, Cirqit Health, Birdlife Australia. 

Hobsons Bay City Council and their project partner, Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre Inc., have engaged Grimshaw to design the new Wetlands Centre, in partnership with Greenaway Architecture, Greenshoot Consulting, McGregor Coxall, Integral Group, Bollinger+Grohmann and Slattery.