Born from the devastation of the 2019–2020 Black Summer Bushfires, which displaced or killed an estimated three billion animals, including 64,000 koalas, Guulabaa was created as a direct response to a critical biodiversity crisis.

The 25-hectare sanctuary integrates conservation, cultural heritage, education, and regenerative design into a unique model for sustainable development. This project represents a groundbreaking collaboration between Forestry Corporation of NSW, Gensler, Koala Conservation Australia, and the Bunyah Local Aboriginal Land Council.

At the core of Guulabaa is a wild koala breeding program that prioritises naturalistic environments and minimal human contact to ensure animals can be safely released back into the wild.

Complementary to its conservation mission, Guulabaa also serves as an educational and eco-tourism destination, engaging the public through immersive learning and storytelling experiences that connect people to Country.

Sustainability is embedded at every level, from passive design strategies and low-impact construction to the incorporation of Indigenous-led cultural burning practices, which reduce bushfire risk and regenerate the forest. Innovative use of fire-resilient native hardwoods, approved through regulatory collaboration, demonstrates the potential of locally sourced timber in high-risk zones.

With elevated walkways, modular construction, and integrated community programming, Guulabaa is a place of habitat restoration and a blueprint for resilient, inclusive, and nature-based design.

The initial brief for Guulabaa – Place of Koala was to create a purpose-built facility that would help protect Australia’s koalas from extinction in the wake of the catastrophic 2019–2020 Black Summer Bushfires.

The project needed to be a working model of regeneration, bringing together koala conservation, community engagement, Indigenous knowledge, and sustainable architecture in a public space that was as educational as it was ecological.

The client, Forestry Corporation of NSW, in partnership with Koala Conservation Australia and the Bunyah Local Aboriginal Land Council, envisioned a new kind of conservation-led development: one that would enable wild koala breeding and rewilding in natural forested habitat while providing accessible experiences for visitors to learn about the importance of biodiversity and forest management.

The brief also outlined critical constraints. The site was located within Cowarra State Forest, a working forest governed by the Forestry Act, and subject to strict ecological, safety, and fire-resilience regulations. The project needed to meet the Building Code of Australia’s bushfire safety standards while remaining low-impact and regenerative.

Importantly, it had to reflect and embed the values and traditional ecological knowledge of First Nations custodians of Biripi Country, including cultural burning practices and storytelling.

Ultimately, the brief called for a world-first: a publicly accessible wild koala breeding facility that could demonstrate how built environment design can serve biodiversity, strengthen cultural connections, and pioneer sustainable development in climate-challenged landscapes.

Dissections:

Tallowwood, Carbon-positive Weathertex cladding, Prefabricated Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)

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