New design for McCall Community Hub receives approval

The revised McCall Community Hub has received DA approval from Hills Shire Council. Designed by Plus Studio for McCall Gardens Community Foundation, the project reimagines the northwest Sydney site as a welcoming, inclusive space focused on wellbeing and community.

Set on a hill in Box Hill, the Hub has been designed with accessibility at its core. It supports both McCall participants and the broader public, using design to challenge stigma and encourage connection.

The $35 million redevelopment brings together three heritage buildings that have shaped the site since it opened in 1958. The updated design respects this legacy while expanding the site’s capacity to serve more people, more meaningfully.

Plus Studio Director Gabriel Duque said the vision was to create a long-term asset for the community.

“The backbone of the updated DA is about creating a new way forward of providing care for people with special needs, through better integration with the local community and finding ways to overcome stigma through design. We went through the process of essentially re-establishing the aspirational and the functional briefing requirements of the Hub, trying to ensure that we stayed within the original footprint of the original DA while celebrating the site assets and fine-tuning the design to be more accessible, and inserting more opportunities where people are able to come together”.

To refine the design, the team spent time understanding how the site was used. The sloped 47,000 square metre block posed a challenge, but the new scheme ensures physical access isn’t a barrier.

Every detail supports usability. From tactile materials and curved walls to soft lighting and clear wayfinding, the design prioritises intuitive navigation and independent movement.

New features include a sensory garden, accessible landscaping, and a stronger entry experience. Inside, the Hub will house a café, multi-use rooms, a playground, and a swimming pool catering to up to 1500 children per week.

McCall CEO Belinda Colombrita welcomed the DA approval and the shift it represents.

“With over 1.3 million people living with disability in NSW, it is critical that services and facilities provided across our communities afford all people the dignity, respect and inclusivity they deserve. At McCall, we recognise the inherent value and potential of all people. We understand that ‘people with disabilities’ are ‘disabled’ not by their impairments, but by the barriers and limitations put forward by society. The McCall Community Hub is part of our fight for greater inclusivity and equity. It aims to bring the community together and celebrate a sense of place. It turns what was a very ‘inward’ community environment into an ‘outward’ and inviting gesture – ensuring that the McCall Community Hub can enjoy an enduring legacy and serve the community for many years to come”.

The Hub will form part of the Box Hill Master Plan and play a key role in shaping community life as the area continues to grow. Plus Studio Director Sumedh Kataria said the project reflects the practice’s people-first approach.

“Striking a balance between visual impact and functionality, this project showcases our commitment to delivering meaningful and memorable spaces that positively impact communities, which lies at the heart of all our work”.