PDT Architects deliver Logan Metro Sports Centre

PDT Architects has designed and documented the Logan Metro Sports Centre for Logan City Council, an international standard sporting facility scheduled to be opened by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh on 11th September.

Logan City Council's design brief called for a building that delivered world class sporting and community facilities suitable for use by local residents and for hosting events that would attract interstate and overseas visitors to the region.

As the new home of the Logan Thunder WNBL team, the facility also needed to comply with standards set by FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, and with the requirements of the ABC, national broadcasters of WNBL games.

The centre incorporates three indoor sports courts, seating for 2,000 spectators (including 1,500 retractable seats) treatment and consultation rooms for use by sports health professionals, a health and fitness centre, child minding facilities, a cafe, community meeting rooms, an upstairs lounge bar and full commercial kitchen.

In accordance with PDT and Logan City Councilâs commitment to ESD principles, natural lighting has been maximised throughout the centre through use of double skinned roof lights. Opening louvered windows allow the facility to take advantage of natural breezes and lighting is auto shut-off to minimise maintenance costs.

Commenting on the project, PDT Architects Project Leader Russell Beatson stated "we positioned the building facing south, with a predominantly glass louvered facade, to maximise the use of natural light and ventilation within the facility.

"Of significance is the fact that, while we incorporated air conditioning throughout the entire complex, the natural ventilation allows the building to 'breathe', reducing the need for airconditioning and providing significant cost saving to the client. The car parks contain bio-retention swales to naturally filter rainwater runoff and we've installed a 100,000 litre rainwater tank to be used for toilet flushing and irrigation."

Trevor Williams, Logan City Council Community Infrastructure Coordinator, added "the Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre is the centrepiece of the Heritage Park Sports Reserve which will eventually become one of Queenslandâs largest sporting precincts with 75 hectares of facilities. We were able to fast-track this part of the development forward from 2011 as a result of receiving funding through the Queensland Government's Q150 program."

For more than 70 years, Powell, Dods & Thorpe (PDT Architects as it is now known) has designed some of Queensland's most notable sporting and recreation projects including the Queensland Academy of Sport Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre at QE2 Stadium and Suncorp Stadium (in association with HOK Sport). PDT Architects, Sport & Recreation division is also currently undertaking design and documentation for another three-court indoor sports stadium in Townsville which is expected to go out to tender in September of this year.

For more information go to www.pdt.com.au