This exciting project at Federation University, School of Mines Ballarat (SMB) campus provided BSPN with an opportunity to reveal parts of a building that had been hidden beneath a century of repurposing. The SMB campus is included on the Victorian Heritage Register (H1463), with Building A noted as being of primary importance. Initially constructed as administration, metallurgy and geology laboratories, and classrooms in 1899, Building A has been repurposed many times over the last century. The building ultimately became the administrative centre for the University and home for property services in the late 1990’s.
Reinvigorating a Heritage-Listed University Building Through Strategic Refurbishment
By harnessing the longevity that exists in a 120-year-old building that was designed to last and coupling it with contemporary solutions surrounding environmentally sustainable design, a building that faded into relative irrelevance has instead been revitalized and will form a part of Federation University’s push towards being Net-Zero Emissions by 2035. The result is an example of a carefully considered approach that successfully leverages the tension between heritage preservation, innovative design, environmental performance, and user experience.
