Mount Alexander 7-12 College

Mount Alexander 7-12 College will open a new multi-storey learning hub, amphitheatre and central square in 2023

We are modernising and expanding the College to provide more enrolment places and improved learning opportunities for local students. This project is part of the Flemington Education Plan and involves four local schools across primary, specialist and secondary working together to transform local education.

Mount Alexander 7–12 College’s $26.3 million modernisation project is part of the Victorian Government’s $10.9 billion investment to build 100 new schools and upgrade more than 1,700 existing ones.

These new and accessible learning environments will provide greater capacity and opportunities for students to experience high-quality academic, vocational and creative pathways in the specialisation areas of design, technology and the arts.

The design offers a range of indoor and outdoor learning environments, enhancing connectivity between general and subject specific classrooms. This allows teachers and students to customise their learning spaces.

Students will have more subject choices, new opportunities, and extra support to reach their full potential.

The design encapsulates the College’s values – community, engagement, excellence, integrity and respect – with feedback from the school community helping to shape the masterplan and learning environment designs.

The innovative build has been designed with three key drivers in mind:

• Context and Scale - creating a new building that is a natural fit with existing school buildings and the surrounding neighbourhood.
• Engagement and Connectivity - improving physical and visual connectivity and engagement throughout the school grounds.
• Connection to Nature - connecting landscape as part of the interior design and creating new high-quality outdoor spaces.

“With our student voice supporting the creation of these designs, I am confident our new building and learning spaces represent our College and will install pride for current and future students.” - Marcella, School Captain

The new hub will be central to everyday learning. It is split across five levels and located between the current administration, gymnasium, and existing three storey building. It will allow the College to steadily increase enrolments to 900.

Students and teachers will have access to classroom spaces and resources that are specifically catered to:

• the arts (fine art and multimedia)
• performing arts (music, dance and drama)
• digital and systems technology
• junior science
• a senior student common room and lounge
• new administration office
• staff support
• and general classroom learning.

The College community said they wanted environmental sustainability to be at the forefront of every design decision.

Our architects listened and designed a building that maximises daylight and minimises energy use through bespoke shading built into the façade.

Students and staff will be connected to the surrounding landscape by carefully positioned windows that maximise natural light and showcase the new and existing landscape features. Opening windows will maximise air circulation.

Each level of the building has been designed to enhance connectivity between general and subject-specific classrooms. This includes flexible walls, which will allow teachers and students to customise learning spaces.

A Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heating and cooling system will control temperatures throughout the hub. This efficient technology is capable of distributing warm and cool air to different zones or rooms simultaneously, depending on the needs of the students and staff.

Accessible ramps and walkways have been included throughout the hub and its outdoor spaces. The Wellington Street entrance will employ ramps to allow access to Central Square. Additional ramps will connect the learning hub and Block A. An elevator will be located on the southern part of the building.

The new amphitheatre at the east end of the learning hub will link visually and physically to the interior performance space. Doors that connect the two areas will provide flexible performance alternatives.

Seating wrapped around the steep turf grass slope will allow the school community to gather and watch performances looking towards the building, or over the basketball court towards the city. The over-hanging hub building will act as a veranda and provide weather protection.

The striking terracotta exterior concrete panels in the new design were chosen to reflect the use of red brick prevalent in the Flemington area, particularly in Wellington, Farnham and Marwick Streets. This colour also draws on the heritage-listed brick substation beside the new entrance. A calming and neutral interior palette, with warm terracotta accents, will create a building that is unique to the College and its location.

Central Square will be filled with life, as students and staff use the space to connect between buildings.

Removing the existing link building and ramp will open the space to provide a new external area featuring warm coloured bleacher seating.

The central Chinaberry tree will be retained, and lemon-scented gum trees will be planted to provide shade and shelter during the summer months. The gums will be supported by a passive irrigation system, which will capture rain and channel it through a series of native gardens.

A range of new outdoor spaces will be created as part of the College’s upgrade and modernisation.

The North Gardens will offer additional external space connected to classrooms. Students will be able to use the gardens for music and art lessons and incorporated seating will allow groups to study outside, shaded by the lemon-scented gum trees.

In the West Gardens, a vertical garden will provide an inspiring backdrop for students to practice music.

An outdoor learning space on level 5 will connect two new teaching and learning spaces and provide additional flexibility through a link to the outdoors.

The hub’s roof design allows it to be converted to a future additional play space and accommodates solar panels, which are part of the overall future-proofing energy strategy

The College’s upgrade is one of four projects included in the Flemington Education Plan. These upgrades are part of the wider vision for every child and young person to experience opportunities and pathways that promote educational excellence, health and wellbeing, a sense of belonging and community

Masterplan and Project Design: Kosloff Architecture

Landscape Design: GLAS Urban

You can access a designed brochure with this information.

What is being built?

A new multi-storey learning hub, amphitheatre and central square are being built.

The learning hub will be central to everyday learning. It is split across five levels and located between the current administration, gymnasium, and existing three-storey-building. It will allow the College to steadily increase enrolments to 900.

Students and teachers will have access to classroom spaces and resources for:

• fine art and multimedia
• performing arts (music, dance and drama)
• digital and systems technology
• junior science
• a senior student common room and lounge
• new administration office
• staff support
• general classroom learning

Who has been appointed as the contractor for the build?

Built Environs has been appointed as the builder. They will work closely with the College and the VSBA throughout the project.

What are the timelines for construction?

Constructions works are expected to begin in October 2021, and the new facilities will open in 2023.

Works at the College will comply with the latest COVIDSafe guidelines and directions to the extent that they apply at the time of the works.

What will be done to manage construction noise?

Built Environs will work within Environment Protection Authority and Council guidelines during construction. This includes acceptable working hours for construction and demolition noise.

Built Environs will also co-ordinate any noise sensitive activities with the VSBA and College to minimise disruption and inconvenience to students, staff, visitors, neighbours, and the public.

Built Environs have commenced discussions with the VSBA and the College to coordinate the construction program with the school operational schedule to minimise potential disruption such as noise, dust, access re-routes, etc.

How safe are the rest of the buildings when construction is in progress?

Built Environs will implement safety precautions between construction and school sites. This also includes traffic management at interfaces as required, protection and monitoring to existing buildings such as reporting to identify any potential impacts.

What will be the impact on light into classrooms in the current multi-storey building?

Each classroom around the perimeter of the learning hub will have direct access to natural light.

How was the College community consulted in the design process?

Staff and students took part in several consultation and design workshops with Kosloff Architecture. These sessions were interactive, and all feedback provided was assessed by the design team and the VSBA.

Information sessions were also held with the School Council during the design process.

How have the designs approached the offset in the loss of space – given the increase in students and buildings?

The learning hub’s footprint is similar in size to that of the existing building’s, which will be demolished.

With the inclusion of a fourth-floor outdoor learning area, the amount of open space will be significantly greater than currently accessible onsite and will accommodate a larger number of students.

Custom-built outdoor seating areas will provide the students with more variety and opportunities for outdoor learning.

Do the designs include improved spaces for bike storage?

Yes, there are approximately 90 new bike storage spaces included within the design.

Do the designs include improved spaces for indoor dining on rainy days?

There is a significant amount of covered outdoor space provided on the ground floor as well as central breakout areas on each level of the learning hub.

How will students transition from the current building into the learning hub – will there be a bridge?

Students, staff, and College community will access the learning hub through three entry points.

Two points will be available through the ground floor level, and one through Level 1 – accessed from Wellington Street.

Is there a new gym incorporated in the learning hub?

A gym has not been incorporated in the learning hub.

The existing gym will remain and will be accessible throughout the duration of construction.

Will new car parking be made available?

Additional parking was not identified as a requirement in the College’s masterplan.

Parking will remain available through Wellington Street.

Is the performing arts space the same as the amphitheatre?

Students will have access to two new performing arts spaces through this upgrade.

An indoor performing arts space will be available on the ground level and will link to the outdoor amphitheatre.

Will the learning hub’s breakout windows be frosted?

Breakout windows in the learning hub will have a mixture of frosted and clear windows. This will enable natural light to transfer between spaces.

How are we ensuring student safety on the roof level?

Student safety has been at the forefront of the design process.

Tall barriers will be installed around the full permitter of the roof level. Fencing will also be installed to separate the mechanical plant area and open play space.

Will there be dynamic landscapes that students can manage i.e., grow food?

Students will have access to dynamic landscapes such as new vegetable patches. These will be adjacent to the food science area.

Where will the main office for visitors be located?

The main office will be located on Level 1 – which can be accessed directly from Wellington Street.

What is the size of the outdoor space of level four?

The outdoor space of this level will be approximately 65sqm – similar in size to a general classroom.

Will there be toilet amenities on each level of the learning hub?

Yes, toilets are allocated on each level of the learning hub.

What sustainable elements are included in the design?

Energy use will be minimised in the learning hub through concrete façade panels which provide vertical shading to the windows. These panels will control direct sunlight into the building, assisting to keep the internal temperature comfortable throughout the day.

Natural light has been maximised through all faces of the learning hub, with glazed panels included internally help share this light with the central spaces of the building.

The learning hub also include specific spaces for the future installation of solar panels. The College can apply for funding to install solar panels to generate renewable energy, through the Greener Government School Buildings program. This program provides upfront funding to help schools install solar power systems, which is paid back by schools over five years.

How will different elements of this upgrade integrate with the existing multi-storey building?

The College community will be able to access the existing multi-storey building through new additional access points on the ground level.

Consideration was made to ensure the learning hub’s design fits naturally alongside the existing buildings.

Are there plans for any further works to be completed on the existing multi-storey building?

As part of the design process, the College has completed its masterplan.

Current funded works included in this budget include the learning hub, the amphitheatre, a central square and landscape works.

How will student access to spaces (indoor and outdoor) be affected during construction?

Safe access will continue to be provided to existing teaching, learning and administration spaces throughout construction.

Built Environs will work closely with the VSBA and the College to identify suitable alternative pedestrian, accessibility and vehicle access routes as required to minimise disruption and inconvenience.

A letter will be circulated with details of works to the school community and neighbours prior to commencing.

What will be done to minimise disruption to the students’ schedules during the school day?

The College operational schedule (including peak drop-off / pick up times, exam period, events, etc) has been communicated to Built Environs for coordination.

This will be used to minimise disruption (noise, dust, services shutdowns, etc.) to the school day.

Will the College require additional portable buildings for the duration of construction, and will the existing portable buildings be removed following completion?

Additional portable buildings will not be required, and all existing portable buildings will be removed following completion of the project.

Will students be required to relocate during construction?

Temporary facilities such as classrooms, etc. on and off-campus have been organised to accommodate anticipated disruption during construction. While some cohorts may need to use temporary facilities, most students are expected to be based on the existing campus.

What will the learning hub’s roof space be used for, and is there potential for it to be further utilised?

The roof space will allow for student collaboration under cover.

Further works to the roof space are subject to tender outcomes.

What is the current and future capacity of the College?

The College’s current capacity is 500 students. With the current relocatable buildings onsite, this is extended to 700 students.

Capacity will increase to 900 students once construction is complete.

What plan is in place for those students doing art next year, who will lose access to studio space because of construction?

No studio space will be lost for art students next year.

The art rooms have been moved to relocatable classrooms.

What electives will be placed on pause next year to accommodate construction, and will alternative options be offered in their place?

Art and Sculpture will be offered as an alternative option to ceramics.

Will there be an opportunity for the new spaces to be rented for community purposes?

The community will have the opportunity to use the new spaces.

Further details will be confirmed once construction is complete.

What considerations to accessibility have been made in the designs?

Accessible ramps and walkways have been included throughout the learning hub and its outdoor spaces.

The Wellington Street entrance will have ramps to allow access to the Central Square. Additional ramps will connect the learning hub and Block A.

An elevator will be in the southern part of the building.

Will there be CO2 meters installed in all rooms to determine when windows need to be opened?

At this stage, it is not expected that carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring will become a normal ongoing part of school operation.

Schools have been advised, based on current Department of Heath advice, in the school operations guide to increase natural and mechanical ventilation to increase the flow of outdoor air inside throughout the day. Where required this includes the combined operation of air conditioning to maintain a comfortable temperature and humidity.

What ventilation capabilities will the learning hub have?

Currently in the learning hub we will be installing operable windows to ensure natural air flow and ventilation.

Ventilation is an important part of the broader suite of controls to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in school settings including vaccination, physical distancing, good hygiene, cleaning and mask use.

Surface materials have been chosen so that they are easy to clean and maintain.