Eurobodalla Shire Council’s Bay Pavilions has been honoured at this month’s Australian Sport, Recreation and Play Innovation Awards, taking out first place in the sport and leisure facility design category for 2022.
Entered by architects NBRS, the award is for innovative and sustainable design that creates an environment where more people are active.
NBRS principal, Andrew Tripet, who partnered with Donovan Payne Architects on the building design, said the win was a credit to the Council for embarking on such an innovative brief.
“Interestingly, so much of the discussion at the National Sports Convention in Melbourne this year was around how we can make new facilities more inclusive and attractive to a broader cross section of the community to get them involved and participating,” he said.
“I think Eurobodalla Council should be congratulated for having created such a unique project that many other councils will now be looking to as an example of how to build contemporary and sustainable facilities for their communities.”
Council’s director of planning and sustainability, Lindsay Usher said Council wanted a landmark building and the award was welcome recognition of that vision.
“Right from the start, we wanted a building that provided opportunity for people of all ages and abilities and a building that enabled our community to come together and grow,” he said.
“This award is recognition of that vision, and of the hard work of so many people in our community who contributed to the design process.”
Mr Usher said a national award was gratifying, but it was the community’s feedback he most appreciated.
“After all we’ve been through over the past few years, the positive vibe and feeling this building has created within our community is so important. The smiles on faces, that’s the reward,” he said.
