Bowling them over

Bowling them over

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Gosnells Bowling Club member Bert Cruikshank, architecture student Daniel Clarke and club member Terry Hudson on the green. Photograph – Kelly Pilgrim-Byrne.

Gosnells Bowling Club welcomed more than 100 architecture students from Curtin University on Thursday seeking their expertise in providing potential designs for the club.

As part of the planning process for the club’s 20-year business plan, which includes the potential construction of a new clubhouse with a focus on community, the club approached Curtin.

The university embraced the idea and sent some of its third year architecture students to the bowling club as part of a project for their first term.

Head of architecture at Curtin Dr Boon Ong and his team of practicing architects Lee Syminton, Elizabeth Strauss and Christopher Mewburn led the project

Dr Ong said the School of Built Environment at Curtin was working with the bowling club on a proposal for new premises for the club.

“The new facility will provide a facility for a community hub,” he said.

“It will have additional social spaces available for hire, a catering facility for evening meals and intergenerational spaces.

“The architecture students will explore design issues around sustainability and the value of the iconic and appropriate Australian architecture.”

Dr Ong said the project offered the students an opportunity to engage with a real client in a real project and was part of the work integrated learning priority at Curtin.

Gosnells Bowling Club president Peter Charkiewicz said it was absolutely fantastic and he was over the moon about having the students at the club.

“By June we will be presented with about 10 to 15 designs,” he said.

“It is very exciting and we don’t know what to expect.”

Mr Charkiewicz said the students’ toured Gosnells city centre to get a feel for the area and they also toured the club grounds.

“We also had a slide show and told the students a bit about the history of the club,” he said.

“The professionalism and interest from the students has been fantastic.”

“The whole thing has been a pleasant surprise and we all look forward to the designs and eventual building of the new facility.”