Winner Non-Residential Design Alterations and Additions
- Tubular fabricated truss with Kingspan Insulated Roof Panels were designed to span the 43m width of the stadium.
- The main Arena experiences temperature differentials of 10 degrees less than the ambient external temperature.
JJC Design has transformed the Traralgon Bowls Club into a world class tournament facility, function rooms and community centre for the entire Latrobe Valley.
One of the main focuses of the design brief was to create a facility that would be unequalled for a regional based bowls club that would attract major events, both nationally and throughout Australasia.
Being regionally located, and with a downturn in the area, (due to the closure of the Hazelwood Power Station, and other major employers in the timber industry) budget was always a major issue. So, the project design and construction needed to be cognisant of not overcommitting the club financially, whilst providing a state-of-the-art facility.
The 18,000m2 corner site, located close the main activity centre of Traralgon, originally contained 4 outdoor Bowling Greens, one being a synthetic green, a bistro, gaming area, minor function rooms, and player amenities.
The vision for the new centre was to enclose the existing outdoor synthetic green and upgrade and reconfigure the administration and changeroom area as well as provide an enviable first floor multi-purpose function space that overlooked the new covered Bowls Green.
The site posed a number of challenges. Existing underground sewer and stormwater drainage ran under the existing Bowls Green. Careful planning was required to locate new footings for the proposed structure to avoid damage to this infrastructure. Overhead power lines ran close to where the new stadium was to be located and needed to be factored into the design.
Earlier in the analysis phase JJC Design discovered that the existing Bowls Green was not square to the existing building. Subsequently, any new structure would need to be aligned, so that the bowlers aim was not distracted by the misalignment between the green and the roof structure above.
During construction it was discovered that the existing survey and sewer information was incorrect, so amendments to the documents during the construction phase were required. The redesign required the new column to be placed, so not to make the portal frame spacing look uneven from the adjoining frames.
Sustainability sits at the heart of this design.
The club’s insulated panels and air-flow solutions keep the temperature comfortable for crowds and competitors without the need for air conditioning, reducing the construction costs and more importantly, the ongoing operational costs. During days of extreme heat, the main arena remains 10 degrees cooler than outside.
To enclose the main Bowls Green arena, a new tubular fabricated truss with Kingspan insulated roof panels, was designed to span the 43m width of the stadium. Not only does the structure span the enormous distance, but it also avoids the nearby powerlines by adopting a canted wall to the northern side of the building.
The elevated deck provides a breakout space from the adjacent function area while allowing members to view tournaments below.
The implementation of high performance Kingspan insulated wall and roof panels, provides optimal insulation levels for the building. This allows for no mechanical air-conditioning in the Bowls Arena. High performance double glazing, (while not required for Total Section J compliance) also aids in the thermal comfort for the players.
The use of transparent Sunpal Multi-wall sheeting also provides ambient light to the Bowls Arena, and reduces the overall lighting requirements, whilst still providing an excellent degree of thermal efficiency. Recently during days of extreme heat, the main Arena, experiences temperature differentials of 10 degrees less than the ambient external temperature.
The considered design, sustainable construction and community focused facilities are sure to delight visitors from around Victoria and Australia for years to come.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Designer: JJC Design www.jjcdesign.com.au
Builder: BFN Developments
Structural Engineer: Gamcorp Consulting Engineers
Building Surveyor: Water Shed Building Consultants
Photographer: Matthew Mallet Photography
MAJOR SUPPLIERS FOR THE PROJECT
Viridian Glass
Kingspan Palram SUNPAL® Multi, SUNPAL® Multiwall Polycarbonate Standing Seam Panel
3D Wall Panels
Larson
Scyon™, Matrix wall Cladding, James Hardie
Essa stone
Laminex
