Council Offices & New Community Facilities

$8 million construction cost

Baumgart Clark Architects was engaged by the Golden Plains Shire Council to undertake a design feasibility study of a potential extension to their Shire offices in Bannockburn. The motivation for this project was the fact that more than 40% of the workforce were working out of substandard accommodation, in portable structures disconnected from the main work areas. The portable structures were enormously expensive to heat and cool, and caused ‘siloing’ of the organisation’s work units, who found collaboration hindered.

The project advanced and Baumgart Clark Architects was the successful tenderer to design the new Council offices and a range of included community facilities, including meeting rooms and a new Council Chamber. The new open-plan workplace, designed with room for expansion, will bring the workforce into suitable and fitting accommodation, and aid staff retention and greatly improve amenity and efficiency. Most importantly, the public interface between Council and ratepayers will be greatly improved.

The building has a range of sustainability inclusions and has been designed for passive solar gain, and will be much more efficient to work in, heat, cool and operate. The expressive timber roof truss structure references the local tradition of highly creative timber rail bridges, bringing the warmth of natural materials and natural light deep into the workplace.

Photographs in this gallery are all copyright © 2020/21 Dianna Snape.