UNSW Village Green – Home Ground Café

2023 Bede Country / Kensington, NSW

Sam Crawford Architects was invited by builders AW Edwards to assist them in working with the University of New South Wales to transform the Kensington campus central sports precinct, the Village Green, into a vibrant and inclusive sport and leisure hub with facilities for multiple team sports, fitness, and recreation.

Our role was to assist in review of the masterplan, and design and delivery of three key elements – a new spectator grandstand overlooking the main sports field, upgrades to the existing sports amenities and end of trip facilities; and design of a new social hub for the precinct. See UNSW Village Green – Moya Dodd Grandstand >

Each of the three elements was delivered by AW Edwards, working closely with the University, to achieve a quality outcome within a very tight timeframe, and relatively modest budget.

The new Home Ground Café provides a casual social hub for staff and students, with indoor and covered outdoor dining overlooking the new UNSW Village Green central sports precinct and exercise track. The lozenge shaped rooves of the café, amenities and outdoor seating canopies reflect the geometry of the setting of the student hub; in the zone between the outer exercise track and the main sporting field.

Project Team

Sam Crawford, Gabrielle Pelletier, Caitlin Condon, Jacqui Singer, Jordon Blanket

Builder

AW Edwards

Consultant Team

Access Consultant: Morris Goding Access Consulting
Civil Engineer: M+G Consulting Engineers
Electrical Engineer: Stowe Australia
ESD: JHA Consulting Engineers
Facade Engineer: Fairlite Consulting
Fire Engineer: Beyond Fire
Hydraulic Engineer: Maconachie & Partners
Landscape Architect: Taylor Cullity Lethlean

Photographer

Brett Boardman