2020 National Architecture Awards: National Commendation for Sustainable Architecture

Jury citation

In addition to being a beautifully designed sports facility with a generous disposition, the much-loved Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre uses innovative sustainable timber design solutions for low environmental impact and high aesthetic value. One thousand tonnes of local plantation yellow stringybark was harvested, milled and used as cladding and flooring, jarrah was salvaged from the original sports hall, and all other timbers were from sustainable sources. An ingenious structural design using certified engineered timber and offsite prefabrication resulted in the reduced consumption of precious resources.

Natural ventilation and fans cool the sports hall, limiting conditioned spaces to the function centre, gymnasium and club rooms. A high level of shading is applied to all glazing, and daylight augments lighting to the sports hall and other spaces. The oversized external timber cladding has been sealed with natural oil; however, it is intended to weather to silver-grey over time.

Project credits

Architect Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects with Advanced Timber Concepts Studio; Project team Finn Pedersen, Patrick Beale, Adrian Iredale, Martyn Hook, Tom See-Hoo, Rebecca Angus, Tobias Beale, Tara Moore, Catherine Dupuy, Jordan Blagaich, Sinan Pirie, Craig Nener, Jason Lenard, Fred Chan, Rebecca Hawkett; Builder Sime Building and Construction; Structural timber design and fabrication Timberbuilt Solutions; Structural and civil engineer Scott Smalley Partnership; Quantity surveyor HW and Associates; Mechanical consultant DB Mechanical Consulting; ESD consultant Cundall; Electrical consultant BEST Consultants; Hydraulic consultant PJ Wright and Associates; Building surveyor Milestone Certifiers; Fire engineer Flint Engineering; Acoustic consultant Lloyd George Acoustics; Siphonic drainage design Siphonic Solutions

Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre is located in Pingelly, Western Australia, on the land of the Noongar people of the Gnaala Karla Boodja region.