"The New Operating Theatre provides the hospital with a new facility to service the community. With and state of the art equipment and design standards”
Client Name: Central Gippsland Health Service - Sale
Area: 250m²
Builder: CAD Build – (Formerly CM & HM Banks)
As part of ongoing capital works at the hospital is the provision of a new operating theatre and associated support areas. The facility is located on the roof space of the existing building designed in 1972 by the Architect – the late Stuart Ashton who was responsible for many of the buildings in Gippsland since the 1950’s. The design‘s intention is to complement the existing building forms and uses the language of the long slot windows and metal façade and reinterprets them. A custom made folded metal façade sites atop the existing brickwork, broken by the negative space of the slot windows. The façade changes appearance during the day with the varying shadows and light.
Paynesville – Driftwood Close House
“Our clients purchased the land for its location on the Paynesville canals with a mooring and its views towards the lakes.”
Our clients for this project sought a house that was distinctly their style. It therefore incorporates several unique features such as the curved portico at the entry and the polished copper entry doors.
The house is a two storey construction that has views to both the lake and the canals. The upper storey captures both views while the ground floor frames the views over the canal. The house incorporates several technologies including solar hot water, solar photovoltaic panels on the roof for power generation, hydronic in slab heating and air conditioning throughout.
The client was heavily involved with the design of the interiors that include several bespoke items such as a copper finished curved entry wall and a timber entry stair. In addition the master bedroom has a custom made screen that divides the bedroom from the walk in robe.
The exterior has low maintenance landscaping down to the mooring with a distinctive boat shed that has a circular cut out shape in the middle to lift it above the expected form for this type of building.
“The Newlands Arm house uses a bold white grid across its façade in contrast to the dark boxes that make up the building”
The building is designed around the idea of rectangular forms from the floor plan to the elevation with its gridded façade. The external building is clad in a dark brown vertical weatherboard that is contrasted by the bold white grid of the windows and highlighted white and red feature walls. The building is a statement in its surrounds.
The plan incorporates living areas on the ground floor including a lounge, dining and breakfast area. Upstairs is the bedroom area with 2 bedrooms and a master bedroom and ensuite.
The ground floor is a simple palette of white with timber features with floor boards and joinery. The entry has a double height void which captures the light through the highlight grid windows. The North side has large windows that open out on to a deck with views over to the water. The first floor bedrooms similarly have sweeping views to the water.
Lavalla Catholic College Arts & Technology
“Lavalla Catholic College required a signature building to house its Arts and Technology program”
Client Name: Lavalla Catholic College
Area: 815m²
Construction Budget: $1.6m
Builder: Becon Constructions
Slap Architects were engaged to design a project that fulfilled the College’s requirement for a new education building that showcased their practical, graphic and technology based arts programs. Part of the brief was to create a building that was distinctly contemporary on the existing campus.
The building comprises a low rectangular brick form that houses the classrooms and that is sympathetic to the surrounding buildings architecture and materials. A pyramid roof rises from its centre and forms the dynamic central gallery area below. Due to the requirement for the classrooms to use the wall space extensively, the external windows were placed above the surrounding benches and used to emphasise the horizontal.
The building contains 4 classrooms with a central corridor that is also the gallery space with a ceiling that rises towards an apex with skylights at both ends. The gallery displays the students work, making it available to both the public and school community as required. There are also associated service areas.
The central gallery area is a play of dark and light colours, positive and negative light formed by the skylights and the high ceiling. The classrooms use orange and green colours to distinguish them and to generate lively, creative spaces. The classrooms are open plan and regularly have the furniture arranged so that the space can be used for different education modes from traditional based teaching, to group based or individual arrangements.
Federation Training – Higher Education
“Federation Training required a space that was vibrant, contemporary and engaged the students."
Project Name:
federation training (formerly gippstafe) higher education classrooms and administration
Area:
300m²
Construction Budget:
$0.5m
Builder:
TS Constructions
The area occupied by this fitout was left vacant as part of the Gippstafe Academy project for future occupation. We were originally commissioned by Gippstafe to design a fitout for Ballarat University to occupy. During the process the Tafe’s amalgamated and the area is now used for higher education training.
The client required a fitout that reflected their new building and direction in education in Traralgon. They wanted something that was vibrant and engaged the students. We therefore came up with a contemporary design that uses bold colours and materials to produce an environment that provides both an impact upon entry as well as a light, bright space for learning. The design is also in harmony with the remainder of the building’s interiors, using similar materials such as plywood panelled walls.
We used colourful directional carpet in the entry and plywood framed “portals” to delineate and emphasise the classroom entries. The remainder of the spaces use darker colours as a contrast.
The use of bold colours is continued through the fitout in the use of furniture and joinery finishes in the main areas and the bathrooms.
Main Street Amenities Bairnsdale
“The East Gippsland Shire commissioned Slap Architects to create a new amenities building that would be interesting, architecturally significant as well as functional and safe.”
Slap Architects were commissioned to design the Bairnsdale public amenities building in Main Street. The new building and surrounds are part of the Main Street Gardens master plan that includes extending the central gardens by removing cross roads (these works has already been completed), providing a central pedestrian pathway new seating and gardens. The East Gippsland Shire’s Master Plan can be seen here.
The proposed development is designed around the concept of it being a Gateway to the East and a resting place. These references are symbolic of where Bairnsdale is located geographically and what a travelling family/person might need when passing through.
Sitting the individual unisex amenities building on the south side of the green corridor allowed the better use of north facing light and warmth in the plaza area for multi use activities. This both ensures an activated space for better safety as well as enhancing the city with additional usable space.
The buildings form takes it’s inspiration from the traditional structures of the region such as the racks that can be seen in the local townships and that were used in the past for drying the hops. The materials of the amenities building reflects the agricultural heritage of East Gippsland, with the grey timber and corrugated iron and exposed structure to add visual detail and to allow post industrial waste timber to be utilised. The timber is a by product of supplying power pole cross bars and is sourced from Montana Timber in Nowa Nowa. Underlying this traditional structure is a contemporary building utilising modern materials and using a bright colour palette that makes it easily identifiable to the passing traffic and a landmark for the new Main Street Gardens Development.
The second part of the development is to be a pedestrian link between the North and South sides of Main Street, which will serve a direct purpose in indicating the location for safe passage across the street, while offering some protection from the elements if waiting for the lights. Its form represents a ‘gate’ and uses the same architectural language as the amenities building. You can see the proposed structure in our post here.