The world’s first wild koala breeding facility is one of 37 Australian-based projects (out of 468 projects total) shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival – the world’s largest and most hyped architectural competition, meaning that Australia will be, behind the United States (52) and the United Kingdom (50), the largest represented country at this years Miami showpiece.
Already recognised by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) 2025 Asia Pacific Awards for Excellence earlier this year, Guulabaa—or Place of Koala in the Gathang language of the Biripi people— is making global waves for its commitment to conservation-led design, Indigenous collaboration, and resilient land stewardship.
“Guulabaa challenged us to rethink what regenerative architecture should be. It is not about making a bold statement, but about designing with care, deep listening, and respect for Country,” said Ken McBryde, Design Director at Gensler Australia, adding that the project features a “bush chapel” made up of seven-metre high telegraph poles and fire-resistant NSW hardwoods.
Operated by Koala Conservation Australia, the facility, which opened last year, operates in a working forest near the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital and was developed using donations after the 2019/20 Black Summer Bushfires:
“We aim to breed wild koalas from carefully selected and screened healthy “founder” animals in natural breeding yards with top-level biosecurity, clinical, and research facilities.”
Koala Conservation Australia (KCA) on the importance of wild koala breeding.
In December, Tara Moriarty, NSW’s Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Regional New South Wales, and Minister for Western New South Wales, along with Uncle Bill of Birpai LALC, opened the new Koala Visitor Experience Centre, in what is the final piece in the eco-tourism puzzle, which includes the WildNets Adventure Park, the Bunyah Aboriginal Land Council cafe and gallery, and the Big Koala, a highlight of the award-winning Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail.
Located deep inside the NSW State Forest Leslie Williams, the local NSW member for Port Macquarie earlier this year said: “Guulabaa… will be a wonderful visitor attraction for the Mid North Coast region that will deliver significant outcomes in terms of koala conservation, sustainable forest management, tourism, the arts, the sharing of Biripi culture, and new timber product development.”
Launched in late 2020, Guulabaa broke ground in early 2023 with the support of funds from the Australian and NSW Governments. Contributions also came from local hardwood timber businesses, including Ironwood, Coffs Harbour Hardwoods, Hurford Hardwood, Pentarch Forestry, Machins Sawmilling, Hayden Timbers, Weathertex, and the Big River Group.
WAF Judge: Why Australia punches above its weight in architecture.
This afternoon, Wood Central spoke with Mark Thomson, contributor to this publication, who has once again accepted an invitation to be one of 167 judges from 37 countries travelling to Miami for this year’s awards. A long time judge , Thomson said Australian (and New Zealand) architects have a long and proud tradition of outperforming much larger countries on the world stage.
A former judge of the certified timber category, Thomson has watched with interest as more timber-rich projects have been highlighted as finalists as well as in category awards, special prizes and in highly commendable recommendations: “I’ve seen the language around timber change,” he said, “I’ve seen the opportunities change.”
“Initially, we were just looking at CLT (or cross-laminated timber) buildings, but now, it has diversified into crafted buildings and a whole range of timber being used internally and externally, structurally and non-structurally.”
Mark Thomson, who has been invited to judge the WAF in the Netherlands, Singapore and now Miami, on the growth of timber-rich projects entered into the world’s largest architectural prize.
A proud Brisbane resident, Thomson is co-author of ‘The Environmental Brief – Pathways to Green Design and is a multi-award-winning “sustainable architect.” A past recipient of the Courier Mail “People’s Choice Award,” he co-founded the Centre for Subtropical Design, a collaboration between the Brisbane City Council and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), which promotes design appropriate for the subtropical climate and lifestyle of Southeast Queensland.
In 2017, Thomson became the world’s first architect to be appointed a PEFC-aligned certification scheme board member and strongly supported the use of third-party certification on building products: “In this world of fake news, I think it’s essential to have third-party verification of what you have done,” Mr Thomson said. “You need credible evidence to back up what you say,” he said, “people often tell you what you want to hear (not what you need to hear), which can be two very different things.”
“I pay a lot of attention not just to the architectural materials but also the credentials that come with it.”
- To learn more about Mark Thomson and his story, listen to the Wood Central Podcast episode.
