Berry Sports & Recreation Centre

This delightful project for NSW Department of Sport & Recreation is a playful response to a modest-budget brief for a children’s rec hall that also serves the community. A multi-purpose sports hall for netball, volleyball, basketball and bouldering, plus theatre performances and dance, it also serves as a night-time shelter from the rain. 

Partially cut into a gently sloping site, the Centre’s simple form and scale reference farm sheds of the district. Precast concrete walls are artfully perforated with starlight holes, adding a joyous element to this serviceable structure. By day, shafts of light permeate the interior while after dark, the glowing building melds with the night sky. 

Beyond appearances, the well-insulated building is engineered for a light environmental footprint. Wind turbines and louvre panels combine in a natural ventilation system that cools in summer and insulates in winter, while rainwater is diverted from the 3.5-metre cantilevered roof to supply tanks for irrigation.