When people talk about designing a sport or recreation facility, the conversation often moves quickly to the building: the courts, pools, gym spaces, amenities and finishes.
Those things matter. But before the drawings begin, it’s important to understand who will use the facility, what activities it needs to support and how it will operate over the long term.
My experience working on a multi-purpose stadium—from a successful tender through to operational readiness in around five months—reinforced how much needs to come together before a facility opens.
Different sports have different facility requirements
A facility that supports several sports needs to account for the way each sport is played and delivered. Court layouts, equipment, storage, change rooms, access and scheduling can all affect whether a space works well for different users.
In practice, it may not be possible to accommodate every requirement. There are choices to make, and some needs may have to take priority. The earlier those needs are understood, the better the chance of making informed decisions about what the facility can support.
Early conversations with sporting groups, operators, schools and the wider community can help uncover useful details. Even simple information—such as the activities likely to use the facility, when they’ll use it and what equipment they need—can influence the brief.
Bring operators into the process early
There’s a saying: “Show me the incentive and I’ll show you the outcome.” It’s a useful reminder that people involved in a project may have different perspectives and responsibilities.
Consultants bring valuable expertise and independent advice. The operator, however, is accountable for making the facility work day to day—staffing it, maintaining it, cleaning it and delivering services within the available budget. Bringing the operator into the decision-making process early helps test recommendations against those realities and creates shared ownership of the outcome.
Operators can also help identify practical issues while they’re still easier to address. Can staff supervise the spaces effectively? Can different activities run at the same time? Is there enough storage? How will cleaning, deliveries and equipment changeovers work?
Plan for multi-purpose use and long-term costs
Multi-purpose spaces can help a facility serve more people and activities. But flexibility needs to be considered early. The design team needs to understand how spaces may be shared, what equipment is needed, how users will move through the building and how staff will manage different activities.
The goal isn’t to make every space do everything. It’s to make clear choices that provide practical flexibility while meeting the most important requirements.
The same early thinking should apply to the cost of running the facility. Maintenance, cleaning, staffing, utilities, equipment replacement and technology all affect whether a facility is sustainable over time. The people who will operate it can help test these assumptions before design decisions are locked in.
Get the facility brief right
A clear brief brings together community needs, sporting requirements, operational knowledge and long-term costs. It helps the design team understand what the facility needs to achieve and gives decision-makers a sound basis for weighing options.
At ADLIS Advisory, I bring a sport and recreation operations perspective to facility planning and design. I work with organisations to shape briefs, understand user and operator needs, test operating models and consider the long-term viability of facilities.
If you’re planning a sport, aquatic or recreation facility, I’d be happy to talk about how to bring these considerations into the project early.