Kootingal Bowling Club has long played an important role in its local community, but its ageing interior no longer reflected the needs of the area’s growing and increasingly diverse population. Nextrend was engaged to deliver a complete venue refresh that would modernise the club, improve its functionality and create new opportunities for membership and revenue growth.

Delivered through Nextrend’s coordinated design and build process, the project transformed the club’s main bar, auditorium, dining areas and children’s play space while allowing the venue to continue trading throughout the works.

One of the key priorities was improving the experience for families. The existing children’s area created noise and disruption throughout the venue, so Nextrend developed an enclosed Kids’ Zone that reduced sound transfer while remaining visually connected to the surrounding spaces. The result is a dedicated play area that feels like an intentional part of the overall design rather than a separate addition.

The club’s large auditorium was also reimagined as a more flexible and inviting event space. Previously an open, underutilised area, it can now accommodate live music, trivia nights, community events, sporting presentations and private functions. The updated layout increased seating capacity by more than 20 people in the auditorium, while changes to the main bar area created room for over 40 additional patrons.

Working within a building dating back to the 1960s presented a number of challenges, including uneven timber foundations and unexpected conditions uncovered during construction. These issues were carefully managed as part of the project, with solutions designed not only to complete the immediate refresh but to support the club’s needs for many years to come.

Despite the scale of the transformation, the entire project was completed within a strict 90-day timeframe. Careful staging allowed Kootingal Bowling Club to remain open and active, with the main bar closed for only three days throughout the build.

The refreshed venue has already delivered meaningful results, including increased membership, higher visitation, stronger customer spending and improved patron satisfaction. By combining design, project management, construction and furniture supply within one coordinated program, Nextrend helped Kootingal Bowling Club become a more contemporary, flexible and commercially successful community venue.