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BEST – Blacktown Exercise Sports & Technology Hub

September 16, 2024

Project No. 7885

BEST – the Blacktown Exercise Sports & Technology Hub is an award-winning, world-class facility, at the intersection of sport, culture, health & community. The project is an outcome of Blacktown City Council’s Community Strategic Plan, which focuses on the development of sporting facilities to continue a rich, ingrained culture & history of sporting excellence. BEST is an exemplar of innovation, facilitating increased health benefits for the community, whilst also enabling enhanced athletic development.

The facility officially was opened early 2023 by Olympic Gold medallist Cathy Freeman OAM & Blacktown City Mayor, Tony Bleasdale OAM. Cathy Freeman said in her opening speech,

“If this facility was here when I was a kid, without a doubt I would be here every day with my stepfather training & making the most of these facilities.”
Cathy Freeman (1996 Olympic Gold Medalist)

The award winning architectural design is by ARM Architecture, in association with CO.OP Studio, & the landscape architecture was by ARM in association with Architectus. Buildcorp was the principal contractor, with Crystal Pools delivering the aquatic infrastructure and Metz Tiles for the aquatic tiling. BEC’s contribution was led by Aquatics Principal, Brad Fong. Brad suggests that,

“I found working with Neil Gardner & Grant Bambach (Project Managers at Savills) a pleasure to work with as they greatly appreciated the value of our aquatics expertise & ensured implementation as designed.

It was a refreshing & welcome change, as too many clients & industry professionals do not understand or appreciate the complexities of specialist aquatic design, nor the inherent benefits of BEC’s multi-discipline approach – until they are left with a sub-standard facility & unplanned/ongoing asset management cost for years to come.”

– Brad Fong (Director of BEC)

BEST has been celebrated by the Urban Design Institute of Australia (UDIA), already winning the 2024 UDIA Design Award, the UDIA NSW Award, & Urban Property Group Presidents Award, & has also been commemorated with awards by AIA & Design Sydney.

“Being a specialist sports facility unique to this area will bring state-of-the-art facilities to athletes wanting to progress to the next level.”  

– Brad Fong

As is evident due to the quality of the project, Blacktown City Council has made every cent of their $100 million investment count. 

The BEC team lead the Safety-by-Design for the aquatic elements. Brad Fong discusses, 

“The recovery lap-pool was too short for an access ramp, & there was a requirement for a 2m deep water section, along with a 1m deep rehab area. Hoists & a dividing wall were incorporated to separate the shallow area from the deep.

A unique random tile pattern was nominated by the architects (most commercial pool tiling is uniform). We worked with the Royal Life Saving Society Guidelines so that the patterns wouldn’t be mistaken for a human figure, or too dark to see someone at the bottom of the pool.”

Check out these videos below of the Blacktown Exercise Sports & Technology facility, with a fly through and official opening with Cathy Freeman!

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