2012 National Architecture Awards: Heritage

Ormond College Academic Centre by McGlashan Everist Heritage Architecture: National Award Australian Institute of Architects

Jury citation

The Ormond College Academic Centre is an adaptive reuse of the circa 1968, heritage-listed, two-storey, octagonal Romberg and Boyd building. The transformation represents a cohesive, contemporary integration of library, technology, pedagogy and materiality.

McGlashan Everist has created a memorable space that supports the diversity of learning styles of the modern student and which provides the ability to use and access knowledge in its many forms. The design supports a multitude of learning modalities for individuals and groups in a range of spaces that offer space and time flexibility and transformability.

A central void connects the two floors. A faceted top-lit lantern draws on Islamic architecture and the tradition of great library reading room domes to fill the centre with natural light.

Sculpting of joinery and bookshelves enables framed views of the trees and the College beyond. Timber, wool, leather, recycled copper, cork and brick offer warmth, tactility, calm and acoustic control. Sustainable design shaped the project from its inception. Attention to creating thermal mass, shading, drawing in natural light and ventilation demonstrate environmental responsibility.

The built result, thoroughly embraced by the students, is testament to the protracted research, brief development and design process and represents the community values of the College.

Credits

Project
Ormond College Academic Centre
Architect
McGlashan Everist
Carlton, Vic, Australia
Consultants
Acoustic consultant Marshall Day Acoustics
Building surveyor Reddo Building Surveyors
Contractor Building Engineering
Engineer Sanderson Consultants
Learning space consultant Associate Professor Peter Jamieson
Lighting design Electrolight
Quantity surveyor Wilde and Woollard
Structural engineer MacLeod Consulting
Site Details
Location Parkville,  Melbourne,  Vic,  Australia
Project Details
Status Built
Type Heritage

Source

Award

Published online: 2 Nov 2012
Words: National Architecture Awards Jury 2012
Images: Peter Clarke, Peter Clarke

Issue

Architecture Australia, November 2012

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