Deicke Richards led a multidisciplinary consultant team to deliver the refurbishment of the former Moranbah Community Centre, now rebranded as the Isaac Events Centre. The project has revitalised this important local hub, enhancing its functionality, amenity, and identity at the heart of the Isaac community.
Our team brought together expertise in architecture, interior design, and engagement facilitation, using a collaborative approach that was both inclusive and outcome driven. Through early and ongoing consultation with the client, key stakeholders, and community representatives, we ensured the design response was informed by the building’s rich legacy and its evolving role in Moranbah’s civic life.
A hands-on design workshop, held onsite, was central to the process. This session allowed the team to test ideas in real time and establish a shared vision for the building’s future. The resulting concept plan carefully balanced practical improvements with a deep respect for the Centre’s community value. The reconfiguration of internal spaces now allows for clearer wayfinding, stronger visual and physical connections, and improved accessibility. Operational and servicing functions have been rationalised, while existing function rooms were upgraded and complemented by new flexible and leasable spaces to support both community and commercial use.
A clear brief and well-managed client engagement process enabled the rapid progression of the architectural concept, representing a key achievement of the project. The design solution demonstrates how collaborative consultation and well-considered staging can yield efficient, high-quality outcomes within tight regional project constraints.
The refurbished Isaac Events Centre now offers a collection of professional, elegant, and welcoming spaces that celebrate community gatherings of all scales, from intimate meetings to major civic events. The interior design draws inspiration from Isaac’s natural landscapes, referencing the colours and textures of the region, while also acknowledging the building’s historic significance as a social and cultural anchor for the township.
Importantly, opportunities to recognise and honour the Barada Barna people, the Traditional Custodians of the land, have been thoughtfully embedded within the design. Art and artefacts are displayed throughout the interior, providing an authentic expression of cultural continuity and community pride.
Externally, the newly landscaped forecourt creates a renewed sense of arrival. At its heart stand three new metal crosses designed by Deicke Richards to replace the original timber structures installed in the 1970s. These new forms reimagine a familiar local landmark with durability and grace and were recently dedicated and blessed by members of the local church groups, a symbolic act that reconnects the site with its spiritual and communal origins.
The Isaac Events Centre refurbishment represents the renewal of a place that continues to bring people together, and is a vibrant, flexible, and enduring home for community life in Moranbah.
- Client
Isaac Regional Council
- Location
Moranbah, Queensland
- Year
2024
