Sir Ross McLarty Sports Precinct Master Plan
Working with our collaboration partner CCS strategic, Gresley Abas completed a master planning exercise to establish an integrated clubhouse and facility hub at Challenger Reserve in Manning. The diverse user groups required facilities to support Bowls (as well as Manning Bowls Club), Soccer, Cricket, Tennis, a significant bridge facility, a playground, and a kiosk. Refined through the consultation and briefing process, spaces provided included a major clubhouse facility for bowls, a kitchen, bar and club-related dining and function areas, two bridge rooms, and an associated dining room. Additionally, three leasable function rooms, which were able to form one large space, were included. Extensive external change rooms, store,s and amenities were also positioned to be easily accessible from the surrounding playing fields.
Ultimately the central planning principle focussed on careful and strategic moves to co-locate the primary public and club facilities so that one central kitchen could service all areas. This emphasis on reducing replicated facilities also ensured that other essential amenities, such as toilets, could be accessed internally by each space while keeping the amount of back-of-house corridor space to an absolute minimum. Achieving a high level of planning efficiency to meet many stakeholders’ needs was a critical outcome of our process.
While all these diverse functions are in one building, the final plan provides legible and quality exterior address points and identities for each club and element. Each club is directly connected to its sporting field areas and can be easily identified from parking areas.
Finally, the planned clubhouse hub makes direct connections to a high-quality landscaped and external seating zone surrounding the facilities to promote social activity for both participants and spectators. Seeking opportunities for a vibrant, active community sporting and activity hub was at the core of the design process.
