Australia's first all-electric 6 Star Green Star aquatic facility
Northcote Aquatic Recreation Centre
Designed by the community for the community
Extensive community consultation, including engagement with Wurundjeri Elders, shaped the project's ethos. The design centres around three primary design strategies:
- Repair and rejuvenation
- Responding to the climate emergency declared by the City of Darebin; and
- Community connection.
The impact of the new facility, which anticipated 3,000 members joining in the opening month of November, is evidenced by the huge uptake of more than 8,000 membership within eight weeks of opening alongside almost twice as many Learn to Swim enrolments as initially forecast.
On behalf of the Victorian Government, l wish to congratulate you and your Melbourne colleagues on receiving the 2024 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards Best-in-Category award for Architectural Design. This is a significant achievement given the level of competition and quality of entries. Since 1968, the Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre (NARC) has been a valued community asset. With new and improved facilities, greater amenities, enhanced sustainability outcomes and having attracted thousands of new members within months of opening, the new NARC facility is building upon this important legacy.
The Northcote Aquatic Recreation Centre wants for nothing when compared with the finest hotel pools. The facility, which has just opened its doors to a design by Warren and Mahoney, marks a departure for aquatic centres of its kind.
World-leading sustainable design
Aquatic centres are known to be one of the most energy intensive building typologies. They operate 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and require immense energy to maintain pool temperature and condition. From the outset, NARC was identified as an opportunity to become a sustainability exemplar, demonstrating how through innovation, commitment and partnership, we can drive better value for money, better environmental performance, and stewardship of our resources.
The all-electric design of NARC utilised zero waste targets, prioritised water efficiency and focused on incorporating natural products – including 300 cubic metres of mass timber for the structure of the main swimming halls. NARC’s electric water and air heating systems are powered by a large solar panel roof array, reducing demand on council funds through solar photovoltaics panels and energy reduction strategies. The building operationally will be Net Zero through 100% renewable energy procurement.
A good neighbour
Contextually, the challenge was to create a design sympathetic to the largely residential surrounding environment, while also framing a new 50m pool and external space. This challenge was met by using materials specific to the context (brick and timber) and breaking down the overall ‘visual mass’ of the project through the careful modulation of façade and roof elements.
Bringing together the passion and expertise of the design team, contractor, suppliers and sub-contractors, Warren and Mahoney were able to bring the aquatic centre into the modern age.
Collective Effort
Collective Effort
