COX ARCHITECTURE
Alastair Richardson, director
Talk us through what
future projects are
on the boards?
We are currently
working on the
redevelopment of
Sydney’s iconic
football stadium,
due to be competed
in 2022. This
boutique 42,000 seat
stadium will be home
to three professional football
codes (Rugby Union, Rugby
League and Football) providing
a community-based stadium that
responds to multiple users as well
as being a stadium focused on the
delivery of community
membership and engagement,
and is a far cry from the purely
commercial stadia development
model the USA and UK.
We are also responsible for the
reference design for the
redevelopment of ANZ Stadium,
the flagship venue of the Sydney
Olympics in 2000. The new design
addresses the shortcomings of the
original Olympic venue by
addressing the issues of proximity
and fan engagement in athletic
venues. The redevelopment
allows for the reconfi guration of
the seating bowl to be a dedicated
rugby and football stadium. The
proposed design brings fans
closer to the action and provides
a translucent roof that allows light
in while providing shade and
shelter for fans. We’re also
working on smaller community
venues for soccer, cricket and
Australian Rules Football.
What are you most excited
about, industry-wise, this year?
We are excited about our evolving
offering of integrated delivery
models that focus both on
advanced BIM 360 and the
customer experience through the
virtual and augmented stadium.
This holistic focus on both the
technical and the social can deliver
design and construction
effi ciencies, truly integrated
sustainable design, operational
excellence and a truly fan focussed
experience. BIM 360 is enabling us
to build a fully augmented reality
design prior to opening which is
allowing our clients to visualize
and pre-sell inventory prior to the
opening of the venue. This was
used to great effect at Country
Bank Stadium in Townsville, which
opened this year.
What do you expect will be
the biggest sports stadium
design and engineering
trends this year?
Without a doubt, true
sustainability. Venue operators
and owners will be aiming for
carbon neutrality by 2050 and at
Cox we believe this is eminently
achievable. With government
and sporting code’s commitment
the Paris Accord and carbon
neutrality in 2050 we are now
addressing signifi cant design
issues to reduce energy
consumption, embodied energy
and sustainability in our venues.
The advance to renewable
technology is now allowing us to
develop carbon neutral facilities
by 2050 and we are working
ARCHITECTURE
Sydney FC, Australia
closely with energy providers and
venue owners to achieve these
outcomes. We are undertaking
extensive research into
sustainable structures and
minimization of the use for
concrete to provide effective
carbon sinks and believe that
these approaches go far beyond
any LEED or other ‘green’
assessment tools.
What do you expect from the
Australasian region this year?
We expect to see an increased
emphasis on community
participation and fair play. This is
demonstrated by a growing
number of smaller, local venues,
with a focus on community facilities
rather than huge flagship venues.
This can be attributed to several
things: aging or decrepit
community infrastructure; grass
roots sporting movements that are,
happily, an increasingly important
feature of the sporting landscape
in Australia; and concerns about
climate change leading to the
development of smaller, more
sustainable venues closer to home.
Climate change is, of course,
a huge driver in the design of
sporting venues now. From
designing climate appropriate
venues, to redevelopments to
improve sustainability and thermal
comfort, to a continuing emphasis
on reuse and redevelopment
rather than new build. In many
cases, venues may get smaller,
and they will absolutely get
smarter and more responsive
to suit our changing world.
www.stadia-magazine.com March 2020
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