Xavier College
First multi-storey timber building in Australia
Location:
Kew, VIC, Australia
General Contractor:
Ireland Brown Construction Pty Ltd (IBC)
Architecture:
MGS Architects, 10—22 Manton Lane, Melbourne 3000 Australia
Structural design timber construction:
WSP, LEVEL 11, 567 COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNE
Size of timber construction:
485 m³ glulam beams and xlam slaps
A double première in Australia: our first contract in the private education sector Down Under is also the first multi-storey timber construction on the continent. Xavier College in the Kew district of Melbourne, where around 1,000 students study, placed particular emphasis on sustainability and high design standards. The new Kostka building is part of the Central Precinct Development project. The extension will accommodate around 500 Year 7 and 8 students and combines modern innovations with the rich historical heritage of Xavier College. The ground floor will house modern specialist classrooms for art, science and technology with a central break room and courtyard, as well as the resource centre. This light-filled centre has quiet work and research areas for small groups, as well as larger group study spaces to encourage collaboration and interaction between students
The Kostka Building overlooks the College’s iconic Memorial Chapel and the newly remodelled Chapel Oval and is a welcoming and supportive learning environment for Year 7 and 8 students.
We worked with contractor Ireland Brown Construction to design the construction of a fully prefabricated timber structure for the Kostka building at an early stage. Based on the architectural model from MGS Architects and the structural model from structural engineer WSP, we then developed the efficient factory assembly of all materials, taking into account optimal cost efficiency. Solid timber, glulam and cross laminated timber were used for the ceilings. We provided the certifier with a complete structural report with detailed workshop drawings. The assembly took place in just three months due to the detailed prefabrication planning and was successfully completed in February 2023.
