A Unique Perspective on What Works in Elite Training Facilities – Populous

In the U.K., the Queens Park Rangers F.C. Training Centre sets a real benchmark in this regard. The Centre features a common entry, common gym and shared social spaces where all staff and players can interact.

The Rangers’ Centre incorporates the requirements of all of its teams, from nine-year-olds up to Firsts, seamlessly.

It provides well-linked state-of-the-art indoor facilities, and some 20 pitches, all whilst architecturally responding to its suburban West London location.

In addition to providing first-rate facilities for their own players and staff, clubs, like the Rangers, are increasingly willing to share their newly created elite resources with community teams and the public.

The $60 million Australian Rugby Development Centre in Sydney is a case in point.

Due for completion in 2017, the high-performance facility is of a standard that it can cater to national teams, including the Wallabies and Wallaroos, and the men’s and women’s sevens teams headed for the Olympics.

Right from concept stage, we also focused on how best to make the Centre accessible to local clubs, schools and indigenous organisations.

Similarly in AFL, the Geelong Cats and Greater Western Sydney Giants are among clubs that placed a firm focus on community, multicultural and educational resources when planning their training centres.

Environmental sustainability is also increasingly a consideration in elite training projects.

The University of Connecticut’s Populous-designed football complex was the first college or university athletic project in the U.S. to gain LEED  Silver (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

Due for completion this year, French football club Olympique Lyonnais’ €13 million state-of-the-art facility has all the design features you’d expect from a world-class training centre, including aqua rehabilitation, running hill, tracks and a covered pitch.

It also, however, has been designed to be highly environmentally sustainable being low-energy and carbon-neutral with natural ventilation, along with the possibility of installing thermal photovoltaics to heat water, and rain recycling technology to water the pitch.

Of course all advancements in elite training spaces, whether they relate to environmental, technological or other resources, come at a cost.

In Australia, partnering with local government in order to fund a facility is becoming more common.

Clubs develop high-performance capability off the back of existing government-owned grounds and spaces, under the proviso the community will have use of upgraded sports and recreation resources. The difficulty comes in how to incorporate both these elements so that they enhance the facility not detract from it – something Populous has successfully achieved with the GWS Giants Learning Life Centre in Sydney

We also work with clubs to establish strategies for maximising returns from their future facilities.

The creation of multi-team precincts, strategic partnerships with medical and scientific companies, and maximising hospitality and sponsorship opportunities are some of the means by which this is done.

Partnering with educational organisations can provide funding and other benefits.

There have, in fact, been some astounding developments in what is available to help top sportspeople reach their full potential, should budget allow.

Performance and physiological monitoring is now such that we can identify potential injuries before they develop.

The latest in technology is being employed to do everything from biomechanics to allowing players to create virtual images of themselves in new uniforms, as at Texas A&M’s college football training centre.

I think sports organisations worldwide, regardless of budget, are now looking at training facility investment in the same way –  Firstly as a way to optimise the long term success of the team on and off the field but also now as a way to benefit their communities socially, economically and environmentally. All games, even teams within a code, are, of course, different, and approach training differently.

The player in me is excited, and perhaps a bit envious, about the myriad future options available to each of those teams.

The architect relishes the challenge of creating bespoke solutions, integrating those options, to create true team homes.

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Al Baxter is both an architect and an ex-professional sportsman who was the most capped prop in the history of Australian Rugby Union, when he retired in 2011.

As a new member of the Populous team, Al previously worked at Cox Architecture and has extensive experience in sports and long span projects including the recently completed SCG Bradman/Noble Stand Redevelopment, the Indonesian International Exhibition and Convention Centre (Jakarta), the SCG Hill Grandstand (Victor Trumper Stand) and Khalifa Stadium for the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar.

Al is a registered architect with extensive knowledge in sports, master planning, leisure, convention and exhibition facilities, having worked both in Australia and internationally.

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Richard Breslin is a Senior Principal at Populous and a Director of the Asian/Pacific office headquartered in Brisbane. Richard also sits on the worldwide strategic Board of Populous and is responsible for all of the firm’s projects in New Zealand and Australia.

Richard is currently leading the Populous team on the Darling Harbour Live project in Sydney in a HASSELL+ Populous joint venture. The $1B project includes the design of a convention centre, exhibition centre and theatre. He was Director in charge of the redevelopment of Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne.

In 1997, Richard began work with the team on the design of Stadium Australia (now ANZ Stadium), the main venue for the Sydney 2000 Olympics before moving to London where he worked on Wembley Stadium, and the design of the Soccer City Stadium in South Africa, for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was also project leader for Populous’ successful master plan for the London 2012 Olympic Park.

In 2007, Richard headed home and led the teams on Eden Park redevelopment in Auckland and Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin in preparation for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

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