Shelters

Site planning

Decision framework

Shelters must be developed in accordance with the National Construction Code (NCC) and the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme, including subtropical design guidance.

Sub-tropical design incorporates appropriate design elements for the local climate and includes sustainable development principles.

There are a range of Australian Standards/best practice guidelines, relating to this category. Key documents are referenced throughout and in the LIM Shelters - standards.

See also Creating Shade at Public Facilities: Policy and Guidelines for Local Government, edition 2, prepared by Australian Institute of Environmental Health.  This document provides a technical resource containing guidelines about ‘essential’ and ‘preferred’ quantities of shade at public facilities.

Site decisions

Users

Site conditions

Consider the physical characteristics of a site and requirements of the activities to be conducted:

• prevailing winds (leaf litter, etc.)
• orientation to minimise sun impact
• location of utilities
• well drained site
• level surface
• flood immunity requirements. 

Varying site characteristics influence shelter orientation and design, including:

• site topography, size and orientation.
• preservation of significant and existing viewlines.
• preservation of existing design values, heritage within an area and existing vegetation.
• continuous accessible path of travel (CAPT) from shelter to carpark.
• environmental factors (e.g. prevailing wind direction on the Sunshine Coast is from the southeast)
• protection from sun and rain
• subsurface conditions and soil bearing capacities.
• orientation towards activities and events such as play spaces and dog exercise areas (DEAs). 

Co-location of facilities

• Facilities, including parking and pathways, are often already established and need to be considered in the overall park design. 
• Picnic tables, benches, seats and barbecues may be installed in various configurations underneath shelters.
• Position shelters to maximise shade for users next to activity areas such as play spaces. 
• Locate near toilets, drinking fountains, taps, bins  and bike rails, car parking and public transport.

Safety

• The provision of natural or artificial shade provides the opportunity for a safer public access activity area, by minimising user exposure to hazardous ultra violet radiation (UVR).
• Adopt principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Guidelines for Queensland. Locate shelters to allow users to feel safe, and to provide an opportunity for casual surveillance.

Potential site conflicts 

Locate shelters away from:  

• Residential areas, where possible, to avoid noise issues. 
• High use bikeways, busy roads and steep slopes, to avoid accidents. 
• Hazards such as waterways, fire and flood prone areas, sewers and stormwater drains, underground services, power poles and overhead power lines.

Smart technology 

Smart infrastructure must be installed only where appropriate and only when approved by the asset custodian. See LIM Smart technologies for further guidance, including key considerations for installation. 

Ancillary embellishments

Shelters over barbecues

Barbecues must be installed under a shelter for maintenance and hygiene reasons. See LIM Barbecues for further guidance.

Rainwater tanks

Rainwater tanks are not preferred, however they may be appropriate in approved locations, such as rural sites which are not connected to a mains water supply.  

Design parameters apply (i.e. CPTED, signage, shelter size). 

Taps

Taps must not be located on shelter posts as it can cause maintenance issues, particularly near barbecues.  Install a tap in the adjoining garden bed.  See LIM Taps for further guidance.

Walls

Posts (both timber and steel) must not be directly embedded into walls, as this prevents maintenance access. Anchors (or similar) must be used to maintain separation from the wall.

Any walls should be at seating height where possible and should be positioned to avoid restricting access and to minimise CPTED issues. See LIM Walls for further guidance.

Shelter from the elements

Weather protection is provided for council assets, such as barbecues, seating, picnic settings and information signage. 

Consider the direction of year round sun and breezes to maximise solar protection and to minimise rain entering a shelter (including wind blown rain where possible).

Careful orientation of a shelter for shading can exclude or permit sunlight using the angles of the sun throughout the yearly cycle.

Sun (shade provision)

Well designed and correctly positioned shade provides protection from ultraviolet radiation (UVR) at the right time of day and at the right time of year.

Undertake shade modelling to obtain site specific information about optimal positioning.  See LIM Shade sails for modelling guidance.

Shade is important particularly during the peak UVR exposure times between 9 am and 3 pm (EST) in summer. During these times, the sun is more directly overhead, meaning that the UVR has shorter distance to travel through the atmosphere (i.e. undergoes less filtration) before it reaches the earth's surface.

The Sunshine Coast is located at a latitude of 26.8°S. 

For illustration purposes the LIM has adopted 60° average for the angle of incidence of the sun's rays. Actual angle of incidence:

• 10 am summer solstice 65.48°
• 2 pm summer solstice 60.5°

See LIM Shelters - Positioning for further information.

Design features for built shade:

• Consider the movement of the sun throughout the day, with particular emphasis between the highest risk hours of 9 am and 3 pm. This solar movement impacts on the effectiveness of shape and size of a shade structure. Generally, east and west facing elevations require wider overhangs to improve shade protection.
• Wherever possible, the combination of natural and built shade should be considered as the most effective and sustainable outcomes for shade creation. This combination will allow the built structures to provide effective shade whilst the trees are growing, and/or to allow for a greater coverage of shaded area for the facility.
• Shade only reduces the level of direct exposure to UVR, and does not offer 100% protection. However to maximise the shade coverage choose materials with maximum UVR protection factor ratings.

See the following for further guidance:

• Climate-based orientation section below.
• See Creating Shade at Public Facilities: Policy and Guidelines for Local Government Edition 2, prepared by Australian Institute of Environmental Health.

Wind

Wind classifications for building sites are determined based on the following factors:

• Wind region
• Terrain category
• Shielding factor
• Topography.

The Sunshine Coast Council area sits wholly within wind speed region B (non-cyclonic). Wind region B ultimate wind speed is 51.9 m/s or 186.84 m/h.

Site specific shelter design is to be undertaken by a structural engineer due to variations in terrain, topography and shielding class.

See AS 4055 Wind loads for housing and AS/NZS 1170.2 Structural design actions - Part 2 Wind actions for further information in regards to wind classifications.

Rain

Consider prevailing breezes to prevent excess wind driven rain entering a shelter. Windless raindrops have an essentially vertical straight line trajectory, whereas wind-driven rain may fall at considerable inclination. Resultant angles of 40 to 60° have been found in storms with high wind speed.

For illustration purposes the LIM has adopted 60° for the angle of incidence of rain.

Planning for sustainability

Planning for future works