NSW/ACT & QLD 2025 Region Conference – IMAGINATION AND INNOVATION

A Water Journey: Designing Custom Aquatic Spaces

There’s something deeply human about the way we respond to water—its movement, its sound, its invitation to engage. In public space, water offers more than refreshment or play. It becomes a memory-maker, a cultural touchpoint and a powerful design tool.

For Shane Vardy, Aquatic Specialist at Atlantis Liquid Dynamics, crafting immersive splashparks and water features isn’t about spectacle. It’s about creating something meaningful—customised spaces that tell stories, evoke wonder and work just as well below the surface as they do above it.

“In the best projects, water behaves like it does in nature,” Shane says. “It’s not just about jets and misters—it’s about mimicking cascades, flow, rhythm. And it has to feel right in the space. That takes real integration between story, design and engineering.”

Ahead of his session A Water Journey at the PLA NSW/QLD Conference, Shane shares his perspective on the rise of customisation in aquatic spaces, the critical path from design to delivery and why preserving design intent takes more than good intentions.

Custom Comes with Complexity

Customisation is fast becoming the expectation in public realm design. Councils and design professionals across Australia are seeking water features and splashparks that reflect local identity, connect with Country and create lasting impact. But according to Shane, many underestimate what’s actually involved.

“There’s this idea that you can take a concept sketch and hand it straight to a builder,” he says. “But when it comes to aquatic design, what you see on the surface is just the tip of the iceberg.”

When the design to delivery process isn’t clearly understood, the result is all too familiar: scope creep, cost blowouts and compromised outcomes. The problem often surfaces during procurement, when original designs are simplified in the name of value-management.

“People often assume the cost is all in the water features, but that’s only about 10% of a typical splashpark budget,” Shane explains. “The real investment is below ground—in the civils, slab work, pipework, tanks, plantrooms, services and everything else that makes the surface features run safely and efficiently.”

But it doesn’t stop there; the biggest consideration is water quality. “You not only have to meet state health guidelines, but you also have a responsibility to provide a safe and hassle-free asset for the project owner and community as a whole,” Shane says.

“We see it all the time—beautiful, original concepts get watered down during tender because people don’t fully understand the systems or design requirements,” he continues. “You can’t preserve the intent if you haven’t designed the pathway to deliver it.”

Bringing Water to Life

For Shane, biophilic design isn’t a buzzword—it’s a design response rooted in experience. Natural water movement—tidal ebbs, cascading falls, responsive flow—can transform a space from functional to immersive.

“When we use actuated valves with sequenced control systems to mimic natural flow, you’re not just turning water on and off,” Shane says. “You’re creating an experience that changes how people feel in the space.”

Water also becomes a storytelling tool. Through custom design, cultural narratives, environmental themes and site histories can be woven into the feature itself—engaging users on a deeper level.

“Water has always carried story. So, when we’re working with clients who want to honour a site’s history or reflect local identity, we can help turn that into something physical, sensory and lasting.”

From Design to Delivery—The Critical Path

While design is the creative spark, it’s the delivery process that determines whether the original intent survives.

“Custom design needs a mapped process—concept development, detailed design, product development including engineering analysis, water delivery effects, servicing, risk planning…”

As Shane explains, aquatic features sit at the intersection of creative vision and complex systems. When those systems aren’t fully understood by contractors and the asset operator delivery teams, it’s easy for small changes to derail the whole experience.

Lessons from the Field

With more than 20 years’ experience in the aquatics field, Shane knows how nuanced and site-specific these projects can become. Whether navigating community expectations, urban constraints or shifting stakeholder priorities, one thing remains consistent: early collaboration matters.

“Custom doesn’t mean complicated for the sake of it—it means considered,” he says. “And when you take the time to coordinate across disciplines and stay involved through construction, you get outcomes that really last.”

Final Reflections

For Shane, it’s the outcomes that matter most. The joy, the connection, the simple magic of people engaging with water in public space.

“We recently commissioned a new splashpark in a rural community and invited the local schoolkids in for a pre-opening,” he recalls. “I was soaking wet, running around adjusting the flows, when a young girl tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Hey mister, thanks for our new splashpark. I love it.’”

Moments like that, he says, make it all worthwhile.

Join the Conversation

As expectations grow for immersive, culturally resonant public spaces, water continues to be one of the most powerful tools in the designer’s kit. But delivering those outcomes requires clear intent and a willingness to do the work that goes beyond the concept.

Catch Shane Vardy at the PLA NSW/QLD Conference in Newcastle on Thursday 8 May, where he’ll present A Water Journey: Immersive, customised spaces for imagination and recreation. Whether you’re designing your first splashpark or managing a complex custom project, Shane’s session promises to inform, challenge and inspire.

Shane Vardy, Aquatics Specialist – Atlantis Liquid Dynamics

Shane brings over 20 years’ experience across design, fabrication, construction and commercial aquatics. He works closely with designers, engineers and asset owners to guide projects from concept to delivery, with a focus on best-practice outcomes and community impact. Known for his engaging style and technical insight, Shane helps shape innovative, world-class aquatic destinations.

Australia’s climate is changing—can your sports field keep up?

Extreme weather events like bushfires, floods, droughts, and cyclones are becoming increasingly frequent and severe across Australia. These events place enormous strain on sports fields and facilities, often causing costly disruptions and long-term damage. To address this growing challenge, SPORTENG adopts a dual approach: we help our clients prepare for the future through resilient design, and we support them with expert recovery services when disaster does strike.

This comprehensive strategy enables councils, sports clubs, and facility managers to maintain high-performance playing surfaces regardless of the conditions. Our team’s expertise in turf agronomy, civil engineering, and superintendency ensures every Field of Play is equipped to endure climate extremes—and bounce back stronger after them.

The impact of extreme weather on sports fields

Each type of weather event poses unique threats to natural and synthetic playing surfaces. Flooding often results in waterlogged fields, which can compact the soil, kill turf, and damage synthetic surfaces. The slow drainage of many fields only worsens the issue, prolonging downtime. In times of drought and extreme heat, soil loses moisture rapidly, putting pressure on irrigation systems and leading to hard, unsafe playing conditions. Meanwhile, bushfires and airborne ash create a different set of challenges, from turf heat stress to soil contamination, making it harder for vegetation to recover and thrive.

Future-proofing fields through smart design

The best way to mitigate damage from extreme weather is to build resilience into the sports field from the beginning. At SPORTENG, we do this through intelligent engineering and careful planning. We design drainage systems that allow fields to shed water quickly and recover more rapidly after storms. Our irrigation strategies ensure water is used efficiently, particularly during drought conditions, maintaining turf health without unnecessary waste. We incorporate soil stabilisation and reinforced subgrade techniques into construction to reduce erosion and resist damage from wear and tear or heat stress. And we take a site-specific approach to every project, studying the terrain, local microclimate, and soil composition to develop designs that are fit for purpose and tailored to future risks.

This proactive, data-informed approach doesn’t just protect sports surfaces from damage—it also makes them easier to maintain and more cost-effective in the long run.

Responding to climate damage with expert restoration

Despite the best planning, natural disasters can still strike—and when they do, timely and informed recovery is crucial. That’s where SPORTENG’s turf agronomy services come into play. After an event such as a flood or fire, we assess the condition of the turf and soil to understand the extent of the damage. We then develop rehabilitation strategies, whether that involves restoring nutrients to flood-stripped soil, carefully rehydrating parched fields after a drought, or managing the effects of ash and heat following bushfires.

When a surface is beyond repair, we assist in selecting new turf varieties that are better suited to the changing climate and the site’s specific conditions. This ensures not only recovery, but long-term improvement. Often, we also take the opportunity to upgrade drainage and soil structures to enhance the field’s resilience against future events.

Superintendency: ensuring quality at every stage

To bring all these elements together, our superintendency services provide expert oversight across all stages of your sports field’s development or recovery. We manage construction and restoration works on-site, ensuring that everything is delivered to the highest standards. Our team also guides clients through best-practice maintenance and compliance, ensuring the field remains playable and safe for the long term. We help develop strategic, forward-looking plans that reduce vulnerability to future events and extend the life of the facility.

Prepare today, perform tomorrow

Natural disasters are unpredictable, but with the right approach, their impact can be minimised. SPORTENG’s dual strategy of future-proofing and expert recovery means your sports field is never left unprepared. Whether you need smart, sustainable design for a new facility or reliable support after an extreme weather event, we’re ready to help.

Let’s work together to keep your Field of Play strong—no matter what the future holds.

📥 Download Our Turf Agronomy Brochure: https://content.sporteng.com.au/download-field-of-play-turf-agronomy-brochure
📥 Download Our Superintendency Brochure: https://content.sporteng.com.au/download-sporteng-superintendency-brochure
📞 Talk to our team today: https://www.sporteng.com.au/contact-us