Keppel Bay Sailing Club

Yeppoon, QLD

Solution	Altura Series® Chevron Vertical Louvres
Client	Keppel Bay Sailing Club
Partners	Paynters, Arkhefield
Finishes	AAF Evershield Burnt Sienna anodised finish

Confident Coastal Landmark for Community and Performance

Perched on the Yeppoon foreshore, the new Keppel Bay Sailing Club and Conference Centre marks a confident new chapter for a community institution established in 1957. Arkhefield’s design replaces the ageing clubhouse with a dynamic three-level venue that balances sailing operations with hospitality and events, boat storage, training and administration sit alongside terraces, bars and flexible function spaces capable of hosting up to 600 guests. In a highly exposed coastal setting, the architecture needed to be both expressive and resilient: cyclone-rated, corrosion resistant, and able to breathe naturally while maintaining comfort and energy efficiency.

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THE MADERIGHT WAY

Inspire with quality

At the upper-level mechanical plant room, the louvre openings were large and performance-critical. The mechanical engineer required low pressure loss across significant air quantities, meaning the wrong louvre choice could restrict airflow, increase fan power, and compromise the building’s energy efficiency from day one. At the same time, Arkhefield required architectural façade quality with concealed framing, strong rain resistance and durability against salt-laden winds.

This is where early collaboration through Louvreclad’s Inspire process became pivotal. Arkhefield reached out early with elevations, wind loads and detailed airflow criteria, allowing Louvreclad to test options and compare trade-offs. The Ellenborough Series offered strong rain resistance in horizontal orientation, but the pressure-drop requirements quickly pointed to a different solution: the Altura Series® 145, known for its airflow performance and good rain resistance.

THE MADERIGHT WAY

Engineer with expertise

Installing the Altura Series® 145 horizontally required careful adaptation, as it had not previously been tested in this configuration. Rather than defaulting to a conservative workaround, Louvreclad’s design and engineering team brought the question in-house, working closely with Arkhefield to refine waterproofing, structural spans and fixing strategies. Vertical stiffening, post spacing and continuous blade detailing were resolved early, ensuring buildability without sacrificing the architectural intent.

THE MADERIGHT WAY

Implement with surety

The Altura Series® 145 continuous horizontal louvres were specified with confidence and installed in accordance with project requirements, using the AAF Evershield Burnt Sienna anodise finish to meet durability and corrosion-resistance standards.

Performance-Driven Design in a Coastal Environment

The final solution protected the plant room from weather, supported cyclone resilience, and ensured the mechanical system could operate efficiently with minimal energy penalty while matching the high-end architectural intent. This project demonstrates how early technical collaboration can safeguard design ambition and improve long-term building performance.

Traditional Owners: Darumbal Peoples
Awards: 2025 AIA Regional Awards, Commendation – Commercial Architecture
Project imagery by Paynters

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Testimonials

We work with a wide range of clients and partners around Australia who trust our reputation, value our market knowledge and who can vouch for our competence.

Hutchinson Builders

"Happy with how Louvreclad works, their process, and how everything went smoothly. Will keep using Louvreclad as the performance they provide with their product is top notch."

Built

"The level of service is about as good as you find in subcontractors. Tech department is helpful and forthcoming with information and solutions. Quotes are always detailed. Install and delivery is always reliable and high quality. Team is always very good to deal with. Products are of really high quality."

JACOBS Architect

"Happy with Louvreclad's design, support, tender process, custom solution, very happy with the outcome once installed, and their service to architects from the earlier stage through completion."

John Holland

"Good service, good product performance, easy to deal with. Louvreclad are always true to their time, and communication is very smooth."

JCDecaux

"The overall build quality is excellent and aesthetically the louvres look great, they complement the digital screen and building. The team at Louvreclad were easy to deal with and responsive during a complex digital media build at a high-profile site in Melbourne."