Deakin Trade Training Centre

Mildura, Australia

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Deakin Trade Training Centre

Mildura, Australia

Firm

Y2 Architecture

Type

Educational › Other

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2013

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

Glimpses of a brightly colored form caught between trees gives the first indications that something special sits within Mildura Senior Secondary College. The approach obscures views of the facility until arrival at the main entrance where visitors are greeted with the big bold shapes and playful palette of the Deakin Trade Training Centre. While contemporary in nature, the center contains cues from traditional industries referencing the shearers shed in its form and layout, identifying with both tradition and innovation within the trades.

Deakin aims to improve student retention and outcomes by creating an engaging environment of learning in a facility that celebrates the trades. While the center is visually appealing and its functional and flexible design provides practical state-of-the-art facilities.

On entering Deakin, the Central Gallery forms a light-filled volume that acts as a beacon, drawing daylight into the heart of the building. This space utilizes the highest point of the facility's structure and forms an enticing environment for students to linger within its timber structure and suspended array of acoustic elements. This gallery gives views and access into all training areas, putting the function of the facility on show and enabling opportunities for incidental learning.

The collaborative nature of the facility stems from its roots when 12 schools from the Mildura region came together to create this central facility aimed at improving student outcomes. The program is designed to strengthen student pathways, with strong links to further education and employment in areas of local demand, enhancing the retention of skilled individuals for the local community. Training opportunities include Building and Construction, Furniture and Cabinet Making, Automotive, Engineering, Electro Technology, Avionics, and Hospitality.

Regular consultation with the client groups and trade organizations were essential in ensuring that the facility meets training requirements now and into the future. In the workshops, future flexibility is addressed with a clear-span structure and flexible service-grids that enable adaptation.

The consultation process refined layouts throughout the planning and design, analyzing the efficient flow of material between equipment. Opportunities for cross-pollination between trades are exploited through the location of equipment and enhanced by the interconnectedness of training areas. Where necessary, areas are isolated due to noise/dust requirements, but remain visually connected. All spaces are connected and visible from the central gallery, stimulating student awareness.

A graphical narrative runs throughout Deakin from whimsical arrows that draw occupants in to initiative safety, marking in the workshops defining hazards and areas of restricted access. The playful palette complements practical material selection. Inverted block veneer walls provide sturdy interior walls with thermal mass; the lightweight skin provides protection from Mildura’s climate. Other environmental initiatives include a siphonic drainage system drawing water to tanks, the use of louvers for purging, and extensive natural daylight.

Deakin is a celebration of student endeavor, providing a place of pride for its occupants. It is designed to challenge and inspire students to explore interests, with innovative spaces to gain skills. The facility provides its community with a center dedicated to engaging Mildura’s next generation of citizens.