Growing out of a masterplan for the whole school campus, this first stage includes science, maths and engineering teaching spaces along with a central collaboration space. This forms a contemporary STEM teaching facility in complement to the technology spaces within the existing technology building. The school’s priorities were the replacement of ageing and dysfunctional maths and science teaching spaces as well as increasing the visible presence of new facilities on the main road so as to hold their own against competing schools in the area. 

The main challenges of the project came from the topography of the site and the arrangement of existing buildings. This project sits within the bushland campus of Diamond Valley College just below the crest of a hill on Main Hurstbridge Road. Whilst for all intents and purposes a new building, it adjoins the existing technology building, a robust remnant from the school’s beginnings as an outer suburban tech school. A diagonal DDA ramp and accompanying stair connect the new building complex to the existing campus (giving an oblique presence to the building upon approach) whilst negotiating the steep embankment which has been densely replanted. These pathways arrive at the main building entry with a brightly skylit locker area and a cruciform circulation space which feeds into the STEM facilities in both directions (with new amenities tucked behind the locker bays on the north).

One of the conceptual design strategies of the project which reflects the site and its surrounds was the evocative colour palette of the surrounding native bushland setting. The campus is populated by red box, yellow box and signature red ironbark eucalypts, all of which surround and reflect in the building and are in turn reflected in the colour palette of the building itself. The dark glazed and rust striped brick base, the pale greens and blues of floors and doors, the colour array of student lockers and the ironbark sap window glass over east and west doors are set against naturally light and reflective materials which capture the delicate colours and shadows of the surrounding bushland landscape. 

Further to this is the sophisticated detailing of cost efficient façade systems and materials. ‘Spandek’ steel cladding and open jointed ‘Equitone’ cement sheeting (installed as rain screen cladding systems) allow a fully waterproof but precisely detailed outcome. Elsewhere the ‘Codemark’ certified but economical ‘Scyon Matrix’ cement sheet cladding system is used with flat ‘Zincalume’ sheeting (and in places aluminium plate) fixed as if a rigid paint finish directly to the cement sheet surface.

Team:

Architects: Workshop Architecture 

Builder: United Commercial Projects

Acoustic: Acoustic Consulting Australia

Building Surveyor: Arkritidis Group Building Consultants

Disabled Access Consultant: Architecture and Access

Landscape Architect: Mike Smith and Associates

Services Engineers: SPA Consulting Engineers

Structural / Civil Engineers: OPS Engineers

Quantity Surveyors: Debtech

Photographer: John Gollings 

Materials Used:

Facade cladding:  Type 1: EUROA CLAY PRODUCTS glazed bricks with gunmetal finish.
Type 2: LYSAGHT Spandek Zincalume steel cladding.

Type 3: JAMES HARDIE Scyon Matrix cement sheet cladding system with flat Zincalume sheeting (and in places natural anodized aluminum plate) fixed directly to the cement sheet surface.

Type 4: EQUITONE Natura cement sheet cladding. Colour - N251 
Type 5: CSR Cemintel Barestone cement sheet cladding.

Flooring: Type 1: FORBO Marmoleum resilient flooring. Colours - Rockpool + Bistre
Type 2: TRETFORD goat hair carpet. Colour - Apple
Type 3: TARKETT Safetred Universal resilient flooring. Colour - Comet

Doors: CAPRAL 425 Narrowline aluminium door frames (natural anodized) with 225 Series aluminium door leaves (dark bronze anodized) 

External Soffits: JAMES HARDIE Scyon Matrix cement sheet cladding system with flat Zincalume sheeting fixed directly to the cement sheet surface.

Windows: CAPRAL 425 Narrowline aluminium windows (natural anodized) 

Roofing: Type 1: LYSAGHT Spandek Zincalume steel roofing.
Type 2: LYSAGHT Spandek Colorbond steel roofing. Colour - Surfmist
Type 3: AMPELITE Firecheck Webglass GC translucent roofing.

Interior lighting: Type 1: AUSTRALUME Cubix rectangular recessed LED ceiling light.
Type 2: AUSTRALUME Disc LED down light.
Type 3: AUSTRALUME 55 Edge strip lighting.

External lighting: Type 1: VERSALUX ANNA 310 LED WALL LIGHTS.

Interior furniture: Type 1: STORE MASTA chemical storage cupboards. 
Type 3: LIVING EDGE SixE bar stools with sled base.
Type 4: HIVE Architectural Range science room tables with brushed stainless steel legs and LAMINEX compact laminate tops. Colour - Burnished Wood. 
Type 5: PLANEX steel student lockers

Glazing: VIRIDIAN Double Glazing.

Acoustic Wall Lining:  WOVEN IMAGE Echopanel 24mm Acoustic lining. Colour - Mushroom 

Interior Ceiling Finish: ATKAR VoglFuge 12/20/66R perforated plasterboard.

Internal Wall Lining: TARKETT Wallguard vinyl wall lining to science labs. Colour - White

Joinery Benchtops: CORIAN benchtops. Colour - Glacier White

Joinery Fronts: LAMINEX moisture resistant laminate. Colour - Natural White