Urana Leisure Centre
Officially completed in January this year, this landmark new facility is located in rural NSW, on the Urana Aquatic Centre - a manmade lake with picturesque scenery as far as the eye can see.
This striking community venue houses a gym, meeting room, catering kitchen, amenities, and an event and function room for up to 100 people.
We were first approached by the Urana Aquatic Centre Committee back in 2017, to help them scope a new community centre for their town.
We undertook a sketch exercise to determine the size of the building they wanted to deliver and an opinion of probable cost equating to $1m. This was $500,000 more than what they thought they would need and they set out applying for grants to fund the project.
Six months later the Community returned ready to develop Schematic Design plans having successfully been awarded almost $1m of funding alongside $250,000.00 they had in the bank.
Unique in design, the building features three hipped roof forms that grow in height toward the lake’s edge - almost like a hipped roof mini ‘Sydney Opera House’ in rural New South Wales.
Our inspiration for the roof actually came from expansive farmhouses seen from a distance on rural roads throughout the Urana region and largely designed by notable Architect A.C. Macknight.
Within the building are three large community spaces that each have their own unique vaulted ceilings. The function room features a cylindrical void that meets the vaulted roof over and panoramic views to the lake and landscape.
Our direct professional involvement with the community on this project ensured that we could bring them on the journey of delivering a large public asset. We could also make them aware of the real costs of construction, required consultants and other building complexities.
This process has also ensured the community’s keen involvement during construction and increased their sense of ownership and responsibility to use and activate the project once delivered. An extremely rewarding outcome for us as a practice.
If you are in the area it is well worth stopping in for a visit! Stay tuned for professional photography following our shoot next week.
