The Project
The Summit Sport and Recreation Park is a state-of-the-art facility, designed to support local community sports while also competing on the big stage. In 2023 and 2024 the Summit Sport and Recreation Park had the honour of hosting parts of the AFL Gather Round.
With the main oval designed to AFL standards and containing subsurface drainage to host AFL and cricket, the facility also boasts two synthetic soccer pitches, and practice cricket wickets catering for a wide variety of budding sports people. The project also included sports pavilions, clubrooms with grandstands, sports lighting, internal roads and car parks, and new access from Springs Road.
Technical Solutions
Working with lead architects Oxigen, WGA led the geotechnical, traffic, civil and structural services. The large 20ha site had a significant 22m fall from the top to the bottom. This presented both some challenges – with the ovals and pitches constrained by standard prescribed dimensions and grades – and opportunities to integrate the natural landscape into our design and provide extensive panoramic views of the beautiful adjacent range.
Our team modelled design levels to minimise retaining walls, incorporating large batters for viewing areas. To suit site functionality, retaining walls were strategically placed where needed, including behind the future dual-use tennis and netball courts.
The synthetic soccer pitches were designed to FSA standards, while the main cricket and AFL oval were designed with a turf cricket pitch and subsurface drainage to maintain optimal playing surfaces during the challenging Mount Barker winter rainfalls.
Client Focus
To overcome the significant site fall, the drainage strategy utilised water sensitive urban design principles, minimising obtrusive in-ground pipes and pits while passively watering trees and garden areas within swales adjacent to the internal road and car parks. A vegetated stormwater detention basin was provided at the bottom of the site to further treat stormwater and control discharge into Mount Barker Creek.
Contact us