Lavalla Catholic College Trade Skills Centre
“Lavalla Catholic College engaged Slap Architects to help produce a funding application for the federal government Trade Skills Centre Program and design the building for the colleges specific needs.”
Client Name: Lavalla Catholic College
Area: 675m²
Construction Budget: $1 Million
Builder: Farnham Developments
Slap Architects assisted Lavalla Catholic College with the funding application for the Federal Government’s Trade Skills Centre program. The first stage was for Slap to produce a design that met the funding requirements, and in conjunction with a Quantity Surveyor and the college, produce an application. The college was successful in its application and then engaged SLAP to refine the design, document , and put the project out to tender and then administer the project.
The design houses engineering and construction teaching workshops, as well as materials storage, a theory room, office, C & C machine room and outdoor works spaces.
The building’s design is based on a basic steel portal frame commercial workshop but uses a palette of materials and colours that were chosen in conjunction with the school to integrate the building within the campus. The building is grounded on a red brick plinth, similar to the surrounding buildings, and uses a variety of steel colorbond cladding and clear polycarbonate windows to produce a “chequered” façade.
The interior has been softened with the use of plywood on the walls to contrast with the concrete floor and steel walls.
Nagle College Trades Skills Centre
“Slap Architects worked with Nagle College in many capacities from the funding application through to project completion.”
Client Name: Nagle College
Area: 620m² + external workshop areas
Construction Budget: $720,000 [$1 million total project cost]
Builder: Brooker Builders
Nagle College engaged Slap Architects to assist with the funding application for the Federal Government’s Trades Skills Centre Program. We initially worked with the college and the quantity surveyor to help produce an application that met the school’s needs and fitted within the funding model.
The school was successful in their application and further engaged Slap to design, document, tender and administer the project. Slap worked with the school to refine the design based on the school’s requirements for an engineering workshop, building construction workshop, two classrooms and ancillary spaces. The building also has a large external workshop area with a north orientation and large roof over to provide a flexible space that can be enjoyed all year round.
The building is designed as a standard steel portal frame shed for the workshop areas at either end with centrally located classrooms. The building uses natural tones in the use of the Colourbond Steel cladding with the steel portal members highlighted in bright yellow. The internal spaces of the workshop also use the yellow steel highlights. The internal walls are finished in plywood cladding to both visually soften the space in contrast to the concrete floors and metal walls as well as providing a robust surface that is suited to a workshop and can allow items to be directly fixed to its surface.
The classrooms use a contrast of dark and light with a highlight band of colour in the carpet.