The growth in professional women’s sport in Australia and around the world is encouraging advances in the way elite training facilities are designed to engage with and service local communities and the education sectors.

Co-location, universal design principles and designing with community in mind are coming to the fore when governments and sports look to the best ways to future-proof new facilities and provide access for all. ​

The new Home of the Matildas, just north of Melbourne, has dedicated over 80 percent of the project to facilities accessible by the community for all levels of players to experience and train at the highest level.

Set within La Trobe University’s Sports Park, the Home of the Matildas is a first in Australia as the largest football-specific infrastructure project and represents a major step forward in cultivating opportunities for people playing football from grass-roots to the world stage.

Supported and embraced by two levels of government with the Victorian and Federal Government, plus community, state and elite football organisations, the Home of the Matildas was designed to deliver for every user group across education, community sport and talented player pathways.

From the beginnings of the project, the principles of universal design and designing for equity, not for differences required a deep understanding by the design team of the aspirations and needs of the elite facility and the performance of an athlete.

The location within the La Trobe University educational precinct also allows Football Victoria to open up programs and opportunities to develop their players and people on and off the field.

La Trobe University students will benefit from the partnership with access to many areas of the facilities for student placements and research studies. This will provide a huge boost to the university’s standing as a leading provider of higher education in sport, attracting students and funding for research.

The boutique match day venue, with FIFA compliant hybrid pitch and an 800 seat grandstand, welcomes fans new and old, offering amazing access to watch and interact with players of the highest levels. ​

Grassroots community sports club are also to benefit, with extensive access to most facilities for training and development programs which was a key priority for the project.

Designed for operation every week of the year, the facility includes a café, reception, memorabilia, retail shop, and public amenities including a Changing Places accessible facility.

By designing a multi-sports precinct that benefits the university, elite sport and the wider community, Populous has provided football in Australia with a world-class, equitable training and matchday facility.