Award-winning Bay Pavilions, Arts + Aquatic Leisure Centre

Award-winning Bay Pavilions, Arts + Aquatic Leisure Centre.

Overview:

The Bay Pavilions, Arts + Aquatic Centre, located in the picturesque coastal town of Batemans Bay, NSW, is a state-of-the-art facility developed to serve the Eurobodalla Shire community. Completed in 2022, this project aimed to create a multifunctional space that includes aquatic and fitness facilities, cultural spaces, and a vibrant outdoor environment. The initiative represents a significant investment in community infrastructure, combining functionality, aesthetic appeal, and environmental sustainability.

The project's illumination focused on creating a safe, engaging, and environmentally responsible public space while ensuring the durability of the infrastructure against the harsh coastal climate and humid, corrosive aquatic centre conditions.

Award-winning Bay Pavilions, Arts + Aquatic Leisure Centre.

Key considerations included:

• Durability and weather resistance: The facility required lighting solutions that could withstand the tough exterior conditions of being a coastal seaside environment and the tough interior conditions of the high humidity and corrosivity of an indoor aquatic centre environment.
• Outdoor safety and functionality: Ensuring well-lit areas to improve safety and usability for visitors, especially during evening hours was important
• Aquatic safety for swimmers: Effectively illuminating the pool with due consideration for veiling reflection, to ensure lifeguards can see swimmers at all times, was an important factor
• Optical control: Ensuring effective illumination with sharp control of distribution to minimise light spill and light pollution and deliver a sustainable, yet effective night-sensitive solution
• Aesthetic integration: The lighting design needed to enhance the facility's visual appeal, ensuring a cohesive, uniformly lit and inviting atmosphere.
• Energy efficiency: Utilising energy-efficient lighting to reduce operational costs and environmental impact.
• Community engagement: Creating an inclusive space that caters to a diverse range of community members.

Award-winning Bay Pavilions, Arts + Aquatic Leisure Centre.

Challenges:

• Corrosive environments: The proximity to the sea posed a challenge in selecting lighting fixtures that could resist corrosion and maintain functionality over time, as did the humidity and corrosive conditions of an indoor aquatic centre.
• Aquatic centre conditions: Most indoor pools naturally operate at a humidity level of 50-60%, at ambient temperatures of approximately
• 40° Celsius. Metal corrodes at a much greater rate under warm, humid conditions. This happens because the moisture-saturated air reacts with oxygen and electrons on the surface of the metal. The naturally warm and humid environment of aquatic centres combined with chlorine creates the prime conditions for accelerated corrosion of metals and deterioration of electrical components if the installed luminaires and not properly treated or coated to endure the harsh surroundings.
• Veiling reflection in swimming pools: With consideration to veiling reflection and preventing glare for lifeguards as the light hits the water, aquatic centres require strategic illumination with an appropriate luminaire.
• Aesthetic consistency: The need to integrate lighting seamlessly with the architectural and landscape design of the facility.
• Energy efficiency: Balancing the need for adequate lighting with the goal of minimising energy consumption.
• Installation complexity: Coordinating the installation of lighting fixtures in various areas, including car parks, driveways, and building facades, to ensure consistent illumination and coverage.

Award-winning Bay Pavilions, Arts + Aquatic Leisure Centre.

Solutions:

A comprehensive approach was taken to address these challenges to the Eurobodalla Shire Council, leveraging the expertise of Architect NBRS, NDY Lighting Designers, the builder ADCO and the Electrical Engineers UTECH Electrical. In consultation with Integral Lighting and WE-EF Lighting, the following solutions were implemented:

• Durable luminaire selection: WE-EF luminaires were chosen for their robust construction and advanced corrosion protection (5CE+Primer), ensuring long-term durability in the seaside environment.

The 5CE + Primer corrosion protection system is a critical feature for projects in coastal areas like Batemans Bay, where the salty air and high humidity can cause significant wear and tear on outdoor fixtures. This 5CE+ Primer process incorporates 5 critical elements of protection:

Award-winning Bay Pavilions, Arts + Aquatic Leisure Centre.

The 5CE + Primer system is vital for this project because it ensures that the luminaires maintain their structural integrity and aesthetic appearance over time (like the image shown), reducing maintenance costs and prolonging the life of the installation both in the exterior applications of the carpark, driveway, facade and interior application of the aquatic centre itself.

• Mitigating veiling reflection in the aquatic centre: Veiling reflection is caused by higher luminance of reflected light from the water surface, compared with the pool basin. To effectively minimise reflection, luminaires are best positioned at the outer perimeter of the venue, throwing light forward, as opposed to directly above the pool. To ensure acceptable visibility into the water, the average luminance of the water surface needs to be not appreciably higher than that of the pool lining, as seen by the observer. Mounting height and tilt angle are generally the main contributing factors; A limited ceiling height at Bay Pavilions demanded the use of uplighting solutions as opposed to downlighting. Here, FLA460 luminaires with an A60 lens distribution in 4000 K were the luminaire of choice.
• Optical control: WE-EF's precision optical systems were utilised to provide targeted illumination only where needed, with consistency and uniformity, to maximise energy efficiency while reducing light spill and carbon footprint.
• Aesthetic design: A variety of WE-EF products were carefully selected and positioned with a range of form factors to complement the architectural features and landscaping of the facility, creating a visually cohesive environment.

Specifically, the WE-EF products used in the exterior of the project included:

• PLS420 wall surface-mounted luminaires were used around the building
• KTY234 bollards were used around the playground and pathway areas
• VFL520 and VFL530 street and area luminaires were used in the carpark, driveway, and concourse areas
• ETC340-GB luminaires for uplighting faccade features in a shielded manner

Results:

"The new Bay Pavilions, Arts + Aquatic Centre provides a safe, welcoming, and vibrant space for the community, incorporating high-quality lighting solutions that ensure durability and aesthetic appeal," explained Daniel Clayton from Integral Lighting. The project has successfully created a multifunctional community hub that enhances the user experience while respecting the local environment.

The thoughtful exterior lighting, the driveway, through carpark and the public open space to the facade, promote safe amenities for the community while delivering an aesthetically integrative ambience. Inside the aquatic centre, the masterful uplighting ensures swimmer safety and glare control - and all luminaires across the entire project are backed by a 10-year warranty with 5CE + Primer for maximum longevity.

"This complex project is a model for how regional councils can co-locate modern, economically sustainable and integrated facilities to serve the needs of their communities well into the future," according to NSW Public Works Capital Projects Director Peter Hogan, who led the project team - more here - www.publicworks.nsw.gov.au

In 2022, ADCO, the builder who proudly completed the project, was awarded MBA winner for 'excellence in construction' - read more here