The Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul peoples
Queensland
Darling Downs and West Moreton
The Cameron Park and Richardson Park Amenities upgrades demonstrate how modest public buildings can be renewed through considered design. Delivered for Ipswich City Council, the projects refurbish and retain original 1960s amenities buildings, extending their life while meeting contemporary expectations for safety, accessibility and everyday use.
Rather than pursuing wholesale replacement, the projects focus on identifying and retaining what mattered. A series of light-touch interventions extend the life of the buildings, preserve their character and deliver durable, low-maintenance outcomes within tight budget constraints. This approach ensured the upgrades remained financially achievable while avoiding the loss of familiarity and civic value often associated with standardised replacements.
Retaining the buildings allowed the amenities to support community activities beyond their primary function, while improving legibility, safety and usability. Small in scale but deliberate in intent, the projects demonstrate how thoughtful refurbishment can set a positive precedent, encouraging renewed confidence in existing public infrastructure.
The upgraded amenities at Cameron and Richardson Park support their parks as inclusive, well-functioning public spaces through the refurbishment and retention of the existing buildings. The projects deliver durable, accessible facilities with improved passive surveillance and long-term maintenance outcomes. At Cameron Park, the amenities continue to function as a shaded gathering space for community activities, retaining flexibility and use, that would have been lost through a standardised, site-agnostic replacement. Both amenities have been well received by the community, contributing to increased park use and reinforcing the long-term value of these parks as shared civic assets.
Joel Alcorn, Design Architect
Chloe Middleton, Project Architect
PLACE Design Group, Landscape Consultant
Hunt Michel & Partners, Structural Engineer
Built Environment Collective, Hydraulic Consultant
Built Environment Collective, Electrical Consultant
Flavio Costanzo & Associates, Quantity Surveyor