Baldivis Senior High School

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Baldivis Senior High School is the first high school to be constructed in the southern corridor between Perth and Mandurah and features a Performing Arts Theatre, Library and Administration facility, Science Lab, Cafeteria, Sports Hall and Learning Workshop. The six buildings are interconnected and linked by roofing and walkways. A seventh, free-standing building caters for the school’s Materials Technology education program.

We won the project via a competitive tender process.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

•  Working alongside a Cedar Woods development proved challenging. Cedar Woods were responsible for the surrounding services and connection to the school, boundary roads, street parking, and emergency access roads. The connections of services were impacted by the Cedar Woods program – site services couldn’t be commissioned until the services surrounding the site were live. We collaborated closely with Cedar Woods throughout the project to keep up to date with the progress of the surrounding site services and manage the program accordingly.
• Acid sulphate soils were identified on-site. The original methodology involved lime dosing, however, the first dosage did not clear all of the contamination. A second, stronger dosing took place and the remaining contaminated soil was required to be removed from the site and replaced with clean fill.

HIGHLIGHTS

• A key highlight is the unique chequer plate pattern formed in the concrete panels of the main external walls and repeated in the interlinking walkways, canopies, and staircase balustrades. To achieve this feature, concrete was poured onto an MDF template and lifted off the form lines once cured. Several sample panels were produced to find a release agent that would prevent the concrete from adhering to the MDF form liners.
• When completed, the school was one of only two new schools in the Perth metropolitan area to have a fully integrated air conditioning system. Such systems were usually only fitted to schools north of Geraldton.
• This project won key architecture awards: ‘CEFPI Australasian Education Facility Design Award – Commendation Category 1: New Construction Entire New School’, ‘2013 WA Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) Awards – Public Architecture Award’ and ‘2015 World Architecture Festival Finalist – Completed Schools Category.’

FEATURES OF DEVELOPMENT

Located in the newly-developed area of the Rivergums Estate, with residential development on two sides and public open space on the other, the new Baldivis Senior High School will eventually co-locate with the future primary school.