Ewen Park Outdoor Learning Centre (OLC)
2023 Darug Country / Hurlstone Park, NSW
Sam Crawford Architects (SCA) and Sue Barnsley Design were engaged by Canterbury Bankstown Council to deliver a new outdoor learning centre to the community of Hurlstone Park.
Sited in Ewen Park, adjacent the Cooks River, this project delivers a vibrant place for meeting, promotion of place and environmental awareness.
Simple Structure, Dynamic Community Use
Shelter and site renewal combine to create a flexible learning space.
The brief required a simple yet dynamic shelter, together with rejuvenation of the former tennis courts, to provide the community of Hurlstone Park with a flexible-use outdoor learning centre.
Discover more
“The site is located at a threshold to the Marrickville Golf Course along its northern boundary, with series of linear parks that are are concurrently being upgraded by Canterbury Bankstown Council in association with Sue Barnsley Design to its south, as well as the upgrade of the Lang Road Pedestrian Footbridge along the eastern boundary and river’s edge. ”
The shelter is sited in the north western corner of the site, in the area of site least impacted by flooding, providing an enhanced and welcoming presence to Tennent Parade.
It is expressed as a pavilion with expansive roof that provides shelter to the central gathering space, as well as providing peripheral shade and shelter for the young families that will continue to utilise the rejuvenated site as a learn to ride bicycle area.
The playful edges of both the shelter and landscape afford flexibility in use, breath of scope for inclusion of public art, and carefully integrate with adjacent developments in a manner that affords universal access through the site, with framed views and vistas of the Cooks River.
Awards & Recognition
2024 – AIA NSW
Small Project Architecture – Shortlist
Ewen Park Outdoor Learning Centre (OLC) Gallery
| Project info | Details |
|---|---|
| Team | Sam Crawford, Justine Anderson, Scott Rowland, Caitlin Condon, Jarrod Ruchalski, Sofia Nay |
| Consultants | Landscape Architect – Sue Barnsley Design Access Consultant – Morris Goding Artist – Vertebrae BCA Consultant – Philip Chun Civil & Structural Engineer – Partridge Electrical, Hydraulic & Traffic Engineer – JN Geotech Engineer – GeoEnviro Consultancy Quantity Surveyor – MDA Quantity Surveyors Surveyor – Rygate Surveyors Town Planning – Damian O’Toole Town Planning |
| Construction Management | City of Canterbury Bankstown |
| Client | City of Canterbury Bankstown |
| Photographer | Brett Boardman |
| Awards | 2024 – AIA NSW Small Project Architecture – Shortlist |
| Completion | 2023 |
What we do
Urban & Public
We design public buildings and civic spaces that foster community connection, cultural expression and a sense of belonging. From libraries to public domain projects, our work is shaped by purpose, context and collaboration. These are places designed for people, built to enrich the cities and neighbourhoods they sit within.
Discover moreMore Urban & Public Projects
Hurlstone Memorial Reserve Community Centre
A Y-shaped pavilion responds to the needs of place and people. A curved Y-shaped community pavilion connects with…
UON Alumni House
A generous gift of space that integrates university life with the city. The competition design for an alumni…