Pymble Ladies’ College - Braith Williams Aquatic and Fitness Centre
A first-class, 50m indoor multipurpose pool incorporating diving facilities.
Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Masterplanning
- Architecture
- Interior Design
- Landscape
- Sustainability
The Braith Williams Aquatic and Fitness Centre, the centrepiece of the Centenary Precinct, is a significant contemporary addition to Pymble Ladies’ College.
The building comprises a 50-metre pool, learn-to-swim and fitness facilities, arranged around the central pool hall and modulated by entry and ancillary spaces. It opens to playing fields and public areas, establishing a strong civic presence while responding to the bushland setting through warm, natural materials and a brick-referenced palette.
Sculptural forms provide shading, modulation and visual interest, articulated through sun and shadow.
Internally, the layout prioritises functional requirements, safety and security, with extensive glazing connecting users to the landscape. Environmental performance is enhanced through innovative engineering, including air and water quality systems, acoustic design, heat exchange and a PV array.
As part of the Centenary Precinct, the centre delivers a confident architectural statement and a key milestone in the campus’s evolution.
Central to the design is an innovative, Arup-inspired system for sustainable water and air heating, using full fresh-air cycles with heat exchangers. Warm, dry air is directed across the external glazing to minimise winter condensation and reduce the risk of corrosion.
