Idyllically situated with a view of the open sea from its lap lanes, the ‘resort-style’ Scarborough Beach Pool celebrated a year of successful operation, and the patronage of happy locals and tourists, in January. The facility, which is much more than just a pool, can now also boast an award win from the IPWEA Western Australia Division.

To the community’s delight, the project was completed six weeks ahead of schedule, in time for use during the hot summer of 2018. In March this year, the City of Stirling’s reputation for efficiency was further enhanced, with its award from IPWEA WA for Best Metropolitan Public Works Project, in the $5m-plus category.

The Scarborough Beach Pool was rated highly by the IPWEA WA judges for its innovation, project management and sustainability. This local recognition advances the City of Stirling’s project to a finalist for the 2019 IPWEA Australasia Excellence Awards, in August.

Watch a time-lapse construction video of the pool here.

An infrastructure win-win

The council’s vision was to provide the Scarborough region with a unique coastal aquatic facility to meet community health, social and recreational needs. Another key driver was to create an iconic coastal tourist attraction.

“The Scarborough Beach Pool is a breathtaking facility situated on one of the best beaches in the world with a stunning view of the Indian Ocean. The result is a world class destination that is the perfect year-round venue for locals, visitors and the beach-going community,” said Paul Kellick, Manager Facilities, Projects & Assets for the City of Stirling.

“The pool is the centrepiece of the Scarborough Beach Redevelopment project to which the City has contributed $27.4 million in partnership with the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. Not only will the Scarborough Beach Pool provide a place to meet, play and recreate, it also has a vital role in growing the local economy, creating jobs and supporting local businesses, meeting all the criteria for good public works infrastructure.”

Engineering challenges and expectations

The design and construction challenges are invisible today, with the pool’s tranquil and seamless appearance beside the sands of Scarborough Beach, but its sensitive location on sandy ground, and the high expectations of stakeholders presented unique issues for the project’s engineering teams.

“It was a technically complex project, combining pool designs with public spaces, set within a larger development and positioned directly adjacent to the sea in one of the harshest environments for buildings,” said Kellick.

Collaboration with the neighbouring surf club, residents and local business community was key to the project meeting budget and deadline milestones. As well, there was substantial media scrutiny given to impacts on the significant coastal location, which formed one element of a wider and masterplanned beachfront site.

The result met all stakeholder objectives, including for increasing tourism, creative design, construction innovation, coastal protection, infrastructure return and sustainability.

“The Scarborough Beach Pool, which includes an electric car charging station onsite, received a six-star Green Star design rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, which is the first of its kind in Western Australia,” said Kellick.

IPWEA award nomination

The City of Stirling is a nominee for an Australasian Excellent Award, to be announced at the IPWEA 2019 Komatsu Grand Platinum dinner on 28 August during the biennial International Public Works Conference.

The ceremony is a feature of the IPWEA International Public Works Conference, to be held in Hobart, Tasmania from 25-29 August, with the theme ‘Vibrant Futures, Solid Foundations’.

Find out more about the event and register for the conference here.