Architects: Woods Bagot
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Area: 1,800 sqm
Year: 2012
Photographs: Peter Bennetts
Principal In Charge: Sarah Ball
Design Architect: Bruno Mendes
Project Architect: David Ley
Project Team: Matt Si, Richard Galloway, Claire Gardiner
Collaborators: Swinburne University and Schools Consortium
Builder: Harris HMC
Engineer/Consultant: Meinhardt Group
KIOSC (Knox Innovation Opportunity and Sustainability Centre) is a centre of excellence training hub for the delivery of green education and training, focusing on environmental sustainability and responsible management.
The centre, which is located at Swinburne University of Technology’s campus inMelbourne, Australia, is for senior secondary students from seven local schools who pooled their Australian Commonwealth government funding (as part of the Trade Training Centre in Schools Program) to fund the centre.
Featuring a mixture of technology-rich collaborative areas, a presentation space for 100 people, discovery laboratories, TAFE laboratories and ancillary spaces, plus a Discovery Centre,KIOSC was conceived as an immersive environment for students in Years 7
to 12.
The design of the building reflects its purpose of operation – sustainability, inclusion and innovation. It includes sustainable materials, energy efficiency through correct building orientation and integration of siting and building fabric with engineering services.
The building’s distinctive façade is part of the sustainability imperative of the design, acting as a screen for the sun. The large eve acts as a canopy, while the blades serve as a screen, positioned for thermal quality in response to the angle of the sun.
SectionKIOSC itself will act as a learning tool for the students and will enable them to develop an understanding of how buildings, people and the natural environment interact.