South Australia
Wayikuu celebrates the community and natural setting, with the native landscape, gum trees and creek symbolised in its form, materiality and articulation. Reinvigorating a wider sports precinct, Wayikuu provides club and community facilities, change rooms, gym, administrative and support spaces.
A series of guiding principles were co-created with the clubs and community, setting the foundation for an inclusive and sustainable community hub which has transformed the sportsfield. Resident clubs now have a new home, new spectator experiences and opportunities for growth. The football club has established a new team for people with disabilities, as well as attracting women and girls. New netball courts support club growth and broader participation, driving social inclusivity and equality.
The massing and material palette picks up hues of native vegetation and gum trees, with a larger volume welcoming people into the precinct and a low-lying form hugging the oval and celebrating the woodland beyond.
Wayikuu, Max Amber Sportsfield is an exceptional architectural development that provides outstanding specialist sports facilities and a unique community destination.
The project successfully revitalises the wider sports precinct. Designed with accessibility in mind, the response to the natural topography and use of a well-considered material palette captures the rich hues of surrounding native vegetation and gum trees. The dynamic roof form embodies movement within the creek and spatial character of the surrounding tree canopies, while the colour and material palette complement the surrounding view. The thoughtful design includes overhangs and innovative integration on sustainable measures.
The design creates positive experiences for spectators and offers opportunities for growth for resident clubs, promoting social inclusivity and equality. The amenities and varied settings have fostered participation in sport, physical activity, and passive leisure and recreation, with the multi-purpose space frequently visited. The project has created space where the community can come together, offering a range of multi-purpose facilities, that range from a local restaurant to function spaces, all with a focus on promoting community engagement and inclusivity.
Wayikuu, Max Amber Sportsfield is well-executed, brings a positive impact to the community it serves and is deserving of recognition for its design excellence.
The new Wayikuu community and club facility has provided both specialist sports facilities and a new destination for the local community and visitors. The design delivered by Brown Falconer compliments earlier consultation and provides a sustainable home for the local clubs, which has seen new opportunities for them to grow and develop new spectator experiences.
Working closely with a steering committee comprising elected members, staff and representatives of the sports clubs, the new facilities are both fit for purpose and meet the communities vision for an inclusive, sustainable home which celebrates the natural landscape and retained significant trees.
John Schmidt, Project Architect
Michael Lambert, Project Director
Paul Suter, Design Architect
Trung Nguyen, Graduate of Architecture
Coombe Pearson Reynolds, Civil Consultant
Coombe Pearson Reynolds, Structural Engineer
Donald Cant Watts Corke, Cost Consultant
LBS Consult, ESD Consultant
Secon Consulting Engineers, Building Surveyor
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
