Glasshouse at the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden Project

Project value$1.46 million
Project stageConstruction complete 2022

A temperature controlled glasshouse offering a tropical house and a shade house has now been completed at the The North Coast Regional Botanic Garden.

Project Scope

The tropical house is maintained at around 32 degrees celsius using passive solar heating from its big window north facing orientation, supplemented by a nine kilowatt heating system during the winter.

The roof and some walls are fitted with a special gel-coated ‘webglass’ to reduce the loss of heat and the internal garden bed stone walls and pathways provide thermal mass to store heat. Cooling is maintained by computer controlled cross flow ventilation with louvres set to open once the temperature reaches 32 degrees.

Water to the plants in the tropical house is provided by a computer controlled micro spray system with drippers to the vertical walls.

By contrast the adjacent shade house is shady and cool and a good place to rest after the tropical house, featuring a natural air flow, a drip irrigation system and undersoil drainage. The roof protects plants from extreme temperature variations in much the same way as the dense canopy of a rainforest would.

The shade house displays the Garden’s extensive bromeliad and orchid collections along with a wide range of ferns and shade loving species.

Funding

The Project is jointly funded by the Australian Government, the NSW Government and the City of Coffs Harbour. Volunteer contributions were also made by the Friends of the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden Inc.