Trinity Bay State High School Yr 7 Infrastructure

Peddle Thorp Far North were commissioned as Principal Consultants by the Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE) for the expansion of Trinity Bay State High School. This expansion provides a new Year 7 Learning Centre (part of State Government ‘s Year 7 Flying Start Initiative) to be constructed in readiness for new enrolments at the start of 2015.

The new building would be located at the formal entry to the School on Hoare Street, previously a grassed and treed area. This was the only site within the school grounds that could house a significant new building platform. Flooding and access issues affect the other available site options.
After numerous footprint options were considered, a linear model was selected and developed. This resulted in a 2 storey building facing toward the mountains and linking in with the schools Theatre forecourt with a large Covered Link. Staff Facilities and the Flexible Learning Areas were accommodated on the ground floor, GLAs on the upper Level, with Project Development Areas sharing circulation space and spilling out onto the external surrounds

New Covered Walkways provided sheltered links to the schools previously exposed circulation routes, introducing student breakout nodes in the process

A simple framed structure allowed for a lightweight thermally responsive building envelope, incorporating numerous passive forms of shading including the use of full height vertical fins and perforated panels. The planning provided circulation (access walkways, stairs and lift) on the western side sheltered from the prevailing winds and rain, while filtering the effect on the building from afternoon sun

Material selections are low maintenance – steel and fibre cement with no painted surfaces above easy height. Elements of colour have been used sparingly to walkways and inside classrooms. The result being extremely well lit contemporary learning spaces which relate to each other, the building as a whole and the rest of the school

Project completion costs were significantly within the overall project budget. Construction stuttered at the start mainly due to the wet season, but it was completed well within the required programme and allowed for occupation by the school a full term ahead.