Galungara amenities building is part of an entirely new reserve with playing fields, car park, playground and cricket nets in Blacktown City Council's Alex Avenue precinct. Located next to an existing primary school this park hosts a sensational new playground, bbqs, double playing fields, warm up nets and 100 space carpark, as well as the new clubhouse amenities building.
The context is a highly urbanised environment with the need for design solutions responsive to urban heat. The oversized roof canopy provides relief from the sun, particularly to the surrounding hard stand areas. Generous covered outdoor spaces give the community outdoor socialisation areas to be enjoyed throughout the year. The spaces also allow for visual connections to be maintained between the street and playing fields, improving the passive surveillance of parklands. The building includes canteen, change rooms, field stores, amenities, outdoor hand basins, covered bbq area and bleacher seating. Using a rain curtain, the building incorporates a visual display of water falling into a rain garden which passively filters the water and nourishes local plantings before being discharged by gravity into the local stormwater network. Our approach to sustainable water use in the project incorporates visual cues as a reminder of the importance of the water cycles in our environment. The system uses no pumps or active filtration which reduces maintenance and risk of mechanical failure. The brickwork patterns recollect both water droplets and human finger prints, bringing together the natural and cultural connections of the place.
The park is now home to the Galungara Cricket Club and Schofields Crusaders Rugby League sporting clubs.
Landscape Architecture and playground design by McGregor Coxall.