SQC Group, a Belconnen-based multi-disciplinary practice providing architecture, interior design, access and heritage expertise, has put its creative mind to developing a bold master plan to transform Big Splash into a dynamic, year-round community precinct. It says their speculative proposal aims to preserve the site’s heritage as a beloved local landmark while introducing new facilities that promote health, recreation and social connection.
The key is to use a translucent, UV-protected roof over a relocated pool, along with retractable walls and fences, to give the site flexibility for seasonal transitions. The master plan reconfigures the site as a community, sports and health precinct, including a new, covered 50-metre pool while retaining and refurbishing the existing slides and pirate cave play area. During summer, the precinct would operate as an indoor/outdoor pool centre, integrating proposed landscaped spaces into its activities. But in winter, the pool would transition to an indoor facility, with surrounding spaces activated for public and community events.
SQC Group’s proposal introduces a series of low-rise, mixed-use buildings designed to accommodate complementary services, including a hydrotherapy pool, wellness facilities, child care, and professional medical and community support suites. It says these additions ensure the precinct stays active throughout the year, creating a hub for sport, recreation and wellbeing. Complementary retail and commercial offerings, including a restaurant/cafe, also ensure daily activation of the precinct. The plan also strengthens links to nearby assets, including sports fields, tennis courts, gyms and the Jamison Centre, improving pedestrian connectivity and enhancing the overall community experience.
But the proposal avoids residential apartments or hotel development, focusing instead on community-oriented uses. Suggestions that the government might take back the site if the owner did not propose an appropriate development prompted the firm to consider what might be possible, to spark discussion and maybe sway the owner.
