Stawell’s former technical school has a renewed life as a vibrant community centre delivering a unique, integrated model for coordinated health, community services and social development programs.

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Developed through a collaborative effort between the State Government and local organisations, the conceptual framework called for a building that was able to successfully address the community’s diverse needs.

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The building’s point of departure was to create a dialogue with the mountains of the Grampians–which are visible at the skyline—to produce a strong architectural form. This is expressed by the undulating steel-cladding façade and further articulated by the curvature and swathes of earthy colour in terracotta, grey and cream.

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The core construction involved stripping the long, rectangular building back to its superstructure and cutting through the first and second level slabs with an asymmetrical atrium to maximise natural light. Existing columns were integrated into the design to maximise cost effectiveness and Environmental Sustainable Design features drove the manifestation of much of the project.

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Aside from recycling the superstructure and introducing increased natural light, the building features operable windows, rainwater harvesting systems, recycling bays, extensive insulation and sun-shading along the east/west facade.