CAAAPU Site Redevelopment

CAAAPU, Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programs, is the main alcohol rehabilitation provider in Central Australia, where alcohol is recognised as a major contributor of harm for Aboriginal people.

The CAAAPU site redevelopment project included master planning the site with new roads, parking, access, services and buildings. The new facilities were designed and constructed in a strategically staged project that allowed CAAAPU to continue operation on the site during construction, in addition to siting the new facilities to occupy the same part of the lot as the old facilities.

The new buildings are set out in an arc around a large central courtyard in the shape of a heart, which is the CAAAPU logo. The existing roofed smoking pit used for traditional healing forms the centrepiece of the new design.

The design of the new buildings aimed to create simple, cost effective and functional rectangular forms, but dress these up with distinctive colour and detail to give CAAAPU a robust identity with local references. A generic cross-section simplified the construction of the new buildings, with uplifted verandahs giving the simple forms a dynamic quality and a reference to the uplifted form of the MacDonnell Range, which form a backdrop to the site.

The residential accommodation is divided into smaller, discreet buildings to allow clients to maintain traditional Aboriginal kinship relationships, and to keep a culturally appropriate separation between men and women. It uses a domestic language to give a sense of familiarity and ease to clients, most of who come from remote Aboriginal communities. The fresh colours of these units contrast with the intense earthy colours of the treatment facilities.

All services were upgraded as part of the redevelopment. New mains for water and power were reticulated underground. The first Raw Sewage Pressure System in the Northern Territory was designed by GHD engineers to connect CAAAPU via a rising main to the town sewer service, replacing the failed septic systems scattered around the site.

CAAAPU had operated from approximately 20 demountables that had become desperately inadequate for their needs. The new facilities overcame many practical problems including leaks, structural failure, tripping hazards, crowding, and lack of privacy. They provide a clear arrival and checkpoint area, better orientation for solar access and disabled access throughout the site.  All existing mature trees have been retained to form the basis for new landscaping, and the roofs of new buildings drain directly to the ground, harvesting rainwater for the large landscaped areas.