Our Lady of Mercy College
Brigid Shelly Transformation
Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta NSW
Value: $13 M Construction 2023
Stage 1 of the new Master Plan involves refurbishments and a new extension to the existing Brigid Shelly Building. The existing classroom spaces within the heritage wing will be transformed into flexible and contemporary GPLAs, while a new four-storey extension will contain additional 18 new GPLAs, breakout and collaboration areas, and a tiered Presentation Space.
The extension will be arranged around a central courtyard that allows natural light and air to circulate throughout the building. A variety of landscaped areas are proposed throughout the new building to provide relief from the urbanity of the surrounding buildings. The new learning environments will be light-filled, flexible, technology-enabled, naturally ventilated, have strong visual links to the landscape beyond, and above all will be inspiring places for both teachers and students to be in.
New Sustainable Technologies
This will be the first project in our office to use the Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) for floor slabs and Glue Laminated (Glulam) for beams. There are many benefits of using CLT and Glulam over a more traditional steel and concrete construction. Timber is a low impact material with a much lower embodied carbon footprint. CLT also has a quicker construction time over traditional methods with some estimates claiming it is six times faster than a standard build due to panel construction.
The structure is mix of cross laminated timber (CLT) and concrete floor slabs, glulam beams, and steel columns
Flexible Learning
The floorplans have been designed for maximum flexibility for the ever evolving requirements of the school. Retractable seating, foldable walls and operable louvres over covered outdoor learning areas allow for a wide variety of learning spaces.
Notable design features include:
The project provided an opportunity to upgrade and showcase the heritage character of the original eastern Brigid Shelly Wing.
The design provides for upgraded, flexible, contemporary teaching and learning areas that can be reconfigured easily to accommodate the many evolving requirements of the College.
The new wing has a core structural frame that is a hybrid of mass timber (CLT) and steel. Mass timber is a renewable resource, it requires less energy to manufacture and install, as well as the finished building becoming a ‘carbon sink’.
Reuse of existing buildings to save costs and for sustainability.
Incorporates solar power generation from rooftop PV panels, a rainwater collection tank, and low VOC materials throughout.
The project draws on biophilic design principles with maximized visual connection to outside spaces, use of natural material palette, high standard indoor air quality and generosity of casual and informal spaces.