Its rolling roofline signals a new wave of community-focused facilities in the Western Sydney city of Blacktown. Woodcroft Neighbourhood Centre delivers more than a functional sport and recreation hall. The Council’s community outreach showed strong local attachment to Woodcroft Lake as a recreational area, so the Centre embraces the lake and park with an uplifting architectural form.
Information
Client
Blacktown City Council
Location
Woodcroft, NSW - Traditional Custodians: Darug Peoples
Size (m2)
600
Completion
2019
Our Team
Shaun Carter
Ben Peake
Lisa Merkesteyn
Julie Niass
Tai Danh Lien
Collaborators
Landscape Architecture
Melissa Wilson Landscape Architect
Structural Engineering
Cantilever Consulting Engineers
Civil & Electrical Engineering
WGE
Mechanical Engineering
Arim Consulting
Hydraulic Engineering
Scott Collis
Acoustic Engineering
Acoustic Consulting Engineers
NCC
Credwell Consulting
Traffic
TTPP
Construction
Westbury Constructions
Photography
Brett Boardman
Videography
Alex Niass
Awards
Good Design Award, Commercial and Residential
Gold
Sydney Design Award, Public and Institutional
Gold
Fielders Made Design Awards, Roofing and Walling
Winner
GOV Design Awards, Community and Civic Architecture
Silver
NSW Architecture Awards, Public Architecture
Shortlist
NSW Architecture Awards, Colorbond Award For Steel Architecture
Shortlist
NSW Architecture Awards, Interior Architecture
Shortlist
Sustainability Awards, Urban and Landscape
Shortlist
Australian Interior Design Awards, Public
Shortlist
INDE. Awards, The Social Space
Shortlist
NSW/ACT Steel Excellence Awards, Small Projects
Shortlist
IDEA Awards, Public Space
Shortlist
UDIA NSW Awards for Excellence, Social and Community Infrastructure
Shortlist
Urban Developer Awards, Development of the Year, Social Infrastructure
Shortlist
IPWEA (NSW) Engineering Excellence Award for Multi-Disciplinary Project Management
Winner
NSW Architecture Awards, Interior Architecture
Shortlist
NSW Institute of Public Works, Engineering Excellence Award
Winner
A government-funded project, Woodcroft Neighbourhood Centre is designed to work at many scales and serve different user groups, from 1-on-1 counselling in the community room to functions or games for 200-plus people in the main hall, as well as the 2,000-plus people who gather on the nearby green commons for the annual Woodcroft festival. Three core zones gather under the signature serpentine roof with offices, internal courtyard and community room aligned towards the street, while the main hall opens to Woodcroft Lake and the tall central foyer connects them. Brick construction references the site’s history as a former brickyard, while the timber linings and steel roofline represent an investment in enduring quality.
