Community Sports

Geelong, Victoria 

Lead Architects: ARM + RWA 

The Waurn Ponds Sports Complex delivers a much needed local sports venue and an invaluable long-term legacy for Waurn Ponds on Wadawurrung Country and wider Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula communities. The greenfield site was original planned for 2026 Victoria Commonwealth Games as the gymnastics, weightlifting, and para power-lifting venue with legacy use as a regional sporting venue situated in a broader masterplanned sport precinct. The re-launched project retains the role of a major local sports hub, which encompasses six high ball indoor sports courts (basketball, netball, futsal etc), a regional level gymnastics facility, a community dance studio and associated administration, services and amenities for all activities. In addition, the wider masterplanned site will contain five soccer pitches, sixteen (16) netball courts, associated carparking along with a multipurpose outdoor space and associated amenities and facilities.

Brisbane, Queensland 

Lead Architects: Architectus + RWA 

The new University of Queensland (UQ) Fitness Centre will deliver a first-class sports, wellbeing and training experiences for students, staff, alumni and members of the local community. For this project, RWA teamed up with one of Australasia’s largest and most diverse architectural practices Architectus Conrad Gargett to deliver a highly innovative sports facility. It features one of country’s largest commercial gym footprints, numerous group fitness studios, high-performance training and recovery, as well as centralised administration offices and meeting rooms. The project has been carefully designed to fit into the green belt, riverfront edge of the campus, minimising impact to existing trees and vegetation. A raised concourse level provides a bridged connection and integration between existing facilities including the UQ Centre, adjacent raised playing fields and Aquatics Centre.

Brisbane, Queensland 

Lead Architects: Hassell Studio + RWA 

RWA collaborated with Hassell Studios Brisbane to complete the design for a ground breaking project at the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus.  Intended to be the first integrated 'Health and Recreation Centre' of its kind in Australia with over 6500sqm of useable floor area with the flexibility to evolve with ever-changing end user requirements.  The project aimed to bring together four previously separate entities into one integrated centre - UQ Sport, UQ MSK, UQ Health Care and UQ Wellness.  The four storey building would become the primary anchor for the St Lucia campus' recreation precinct with views over the adjacent green space, tennis courts, playing fields and Brisbane River. 

Chandler, Queensland 

Lead Architects: RWA Sports Architecture 

RWA Sports Architecture has been commissioned by Gymnastics Queensland to compile Project Proposal to inform future consultation around the design and construction of the proposed Chandler Indoor Sports Centre, the planned new venue for hosting Gymnastics events during 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. The report collates Gymnastics Queensland’s overall vision for the new facility ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This includes high level technical briefing, preliminary design concepts, building

layouts and identifying relevant benchmark projects that aim to outline the opportunities and future requirements of Gymnastics Queensland. Importantly, the report outlines Gymnastic Queensland’s specific requirements for a fully operational, commercial gymnastics facility as a post-Olympic Games legacy. The proposed programmes including multi-court indoor sport hall, a state-level gymnastics training hall, and Allied Health tenancies.

Wollongong, New South Wales 

Lead Architects: RWA Sports Architecture 

This masterplan document outlines the forward vision for a 10 year staged development of the University of Wollongong’s (UOW) sports precinct and includes a number of new facilities to address the ongoing operational requirements of the university and its associated stakeholders. The primary objective of the masterplan is to ensure all future development maintains the university’s reputation of providing state-of-the-art sports facilities for students and visitors. The masterplan proposes upgrades to various existing sports facilities used for cricket, hockey, basketball, netball, swimming and tennis. Importantly, the masterplan also recommends the preferred location for a new NRL Training and Administration Facility (TAF) for the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Mt Cotton, Queensland

Lead Architects: RWA Sports Architecture

Redland City Council’s plans for a regional-level sport and recreation precinct at Mt Cotton includes a vast number of facilities to cater for various sport and recreational pursuits. When complete the precinct will include 3 multipurpose clubhouses,13 touch football fields, 3 rugby league fields, large waterplay precinct, competition BMX track, criterion track, pump track and mountain biking trails. The precinct will also incorporate picnic and barbecue areas, informal activity nodes and a series of boardwalks and unsealed tracks through natural conservation areas. RWA’s role was to provide Peer Review of Cox Architecture’s Preliminary Design to identify design inefficiencies and ensure compliance with the project brief, relevant sporting code requirements and industry best practice.

Melbourne, Victoria

Principal Consultant: NH Architecture + RWA

This highly innovative project is part of a broader redevelopment of the Fitzroy Gas Works Precinct. When complete, the Fitzroy Sports Centre will be the first sports building in Australia with vertically stacked indoor courts. The tight inner city site sits adjacent to the recently completed Wurun Senior School Campus with two entire building elevations abutting the proposed sports centre. The scope for the project includes 4 full size multi-use sports courts, futsal court, 24hr gym, athletes/officials change facilities, cafe and community room. RWA teamed up with NH Architecture to provide Development Victoria with the Project Design Brief and Reference Design issued as part of the D&C tender documents. These deliverables were completed over a 3 month period in consultation with project stakeholders and user groups. RWA and NH will provide a Peer Review Role during subsequent design phases completed by appointed team - Built Environs with Co Op Studio.