The redeveloped St Albans Leisure Centre will be a new model combining aquatic and leisure services with complementary community services, focussed on improving health and well-being outcomes the St Albans and the wider community.
As a regional aquatic centre with new 50m indoor pool, learn-to-swim and warm water program pool, the centre will include state of the art fitness spaces together with flexible community and education training spaces, creche and community organisation work space. Council and community partners have been integral in the development of this unique model, with the design reflecting the need for warm, welcoming and universally accessible spaces for the community to enjoy.
The building form and material palette takes inspiration from the natural forms of the neaby Organ Pipes national park, creating a vibrant and distinctive architecture.
Delivered as a Design and Construct project, WRA were novated to the head contractor and provided full design and documentation services for the project. The main component of the building comprises a pool hall that has been developed as fully glazed form, enabling views from Cranbourne Road, with glimpses of light, sky and vegetation.
The centre uses passive design features such as shading, ventilation, thermal mass and separation and daylight to reduce energy and water consumption of the building. Co-generation, HVAC pressurisation and rainwater harvesting are the major ESD design elements that have been used along with solar panels and grey water recycling. The functional components include 50m pool, Warm water, play, learn to swim and toddlers pools, water slides and water play tower – as well as 900m2 gym and four group exercise spaces.
Aqualink Box Hill was an existing aquatic facility comprehensively redeveloped and expanded upon to meet current day standards. The building has a high insulated envelope, HVAC pressurisation, co-generation, solar hot water heating, rainwater harvesting, recycled material content and extensive natural daylight with glare control.
The centre has innovative air-handling systems shown to reduce operating heating costs that improve air quality and reduce water evaporation. The redesign involved existing pool upgrade, new learn to swim pool toddlers and leisure pools, indoor splash park, warm water exercise suite, outdoor lap pool, change rooms and a 700m2 gymnasium. The design promotes equity, diversity, and social connections that result in an improved quality of experience for its users.
This client demanded high quality architectural and engineering design, with innovative services systems and leading-edge water treatment technology. The 80 x 54m building forms two hull-like roof shells, resting on inverted “keel” columns. The two-storey glazed “shopfront” façade displays activity from Waverley Road through to the outdoor pool and garden.
Leading edge operating systems that were used in this project include building automation system, automated water treatment controls, heat recovery, real-time monitoring of key systems including water quality, automated lighting controls and UV-chlorine treatment systems.
The centre is positioned and designed to enable the future construction of adjoining “dry” exercise facilities served from a central spine of reception and change amenities.
The “drapped” shed roof form relates to historic timber shed structures in the district and provides a glazed pavilion to the pool hall with views through the adjacent sheltering trees. Facilities include a 25m x 6 lane lap pool and combined learn-to-swim, beach entry toddlers pool and warm-water exercise facility.
This project involved provision of design, documentation and partial administration services for the addition of a new aquatic centre to the existing Ocean Grove Sports Facility which we designed in 1992.
The design included a new integrated entry, administration offices and café, wet change amenities, toddlers and leisure water. As well as learn-to-swim, lap pool, improvements to overall centre circulation and a function room in the existing centre. ESD features include rainwater harvesting, pool plant heat recovery, roof lights for natural daylighting, automated lighting control and other features.
WRA was appointed to provide full architectural services for the design and construction of the new regional aquatic centre at Willow Park, Wodonga.
The outdoor water park environment includes: heated 50 x 25m lap pool, splashpark adventure playground, toddlers and leisure water, learn-to-swim / warm-up pool, a tower with two water slides, reception, cafe, change rooms and club rooms.
The water park will feature extensive concourse and lawn areas under numerous existing mature trees, overlooking the sports fields of Willow Park. The centre is designed to comply with requirements for regional swimming competitions.
The regional indoor centre includes: 25m lap and learn-to swim pools, extensive leisure and recreational water areas, 20m long warm-water exercise pool and health suite, two gymnasium and exercise studios, wellnes centre / community meeting rooms, cafe, reception / office and change facilities.
The indoor centre will overlook the outdoor water park with extensive verandahs and a stepped embankment providing spectator seating to the 50m pool.
The centre will adopt leading edge ESD and energy efficiency systems to provide substantial energy and operating cost savings over traditional aquatic and leisure centre.
WRA was one of the six panel members for the ARV study and report into Pool Concourse Design, Construction, Management and Maintenance.
The aim of the study was to provide Local Council as aquatic facility providers with the broad knowledge needed to inform their understanding of pool concourse operational issues, performance, risk management, and technical details when considering a new or upgraded surface. The advantages and disadvantages of several commercially available surface options were assessed and site visits undertaken to evaluate those surfaces in operation at several venues in and around Melbourne.
Since the publication of the report in July 2011 the guidelines have become an industry standard and are regularly included with project briefs for new aquatic facilities.
