Bobby Bakehouse: a delicious twist on sustainability
What do a retired school bus and an old shearing shed have in common?
The two may seem unrelated, but these unused items have been salvaged and are now part of Bobby’s Bakehouse, a new food precinct at The Gables, Stockland’s masterplanned community in Sydney’s Hills Shire.
By using salvaged and recycled resources, Stockland has been able to breathe new life into materials that would have otherwise ended up in landfill.
What was once a working school bus is now the Bobby Bakehouse Pie Bus, while the old shearing shed has been transformed into a glasshouse function room. In fact, the food precinct at The Gables has repurposed over 2,000 metres of corrugated iron and close to 900 square metres of bricks.
Recycling and reusing materials is a key part of Stockland’s efforts to embed circularity principals throughout its portfolio and operations, as part of its broader sustainability strategy.
The circular economy is a system that creates solutions to help meet interconnected challenges - such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and waste - where materials are kept in use for as long as possible.
According to research by the CSIRO, Australia’s circularity rate - the measure of efficiency in which resources are reused and recycled within a system - is half the global average.
“We need to consider efficiencies in the way we measure, process, and use our materials. Australia currently recycles 39 million tonnes of materials, which is about half of all materials captured through municipal, industrial, and construction waste schemes. The other half is going to landfill which is a lost opportunity,” says Dr Heinz Schandl, who leads CSIRO’s circular economy research.
Using salvaged materials can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of projects by avoiding carbon associated with new material production. The process of manufacturing new bricks and cutting fresh timber, for instance, is resource-intensive and emits a considerable amount of carbon dioxide.
The aesthetic appeal of using reclaimed materials is also undeniable.
Stockland Project Director, Ryan Baitz, said: “There is such a unique character and story embedded in each piece of salvaged wood or brick used in the new food precinct, bringing a distinct personality that residents of The Gables can be proud of.
“The architectural design has created an intriguing and comfortable space where the community can come together and enjoy the place they call home. By sourcing these materials locally, we’re supporting local businesses and contributing to the local economy, fostering community ties, and promoting economic growth within the regions we operate,” he said.
A model for future developments
The circular economy is a bigger concept than simply switching one material for another or improving recycling rates. It creates sustainable solutions prioritising resource efficiency and regeneration.
The successful integration of sustainability in the development of the new food precinct at The Gables serves as a model for future projects at Stockland. The company's goal is to replicate this success across its other developments, demonstrating that environmental responsibility can go hand in hand with aesthetic and functional design.
Further information
For more information on Stockland's sustainability efforts and ESG commitments, visit Stockland Sustainability.
Discover more about Bobby Bakehouse’s unique offerings at Bobby Bakehouse at The Gables.