Holmesglen TAFE’s first 5 Star Green Star building has been completed in Melbourne.
Designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Peddle Thorp, the building has 7200 sqm of classrooms, lecture theatres, staff administration, break out areas, vocational study zones along with a partial basement carpark with storage.
![](/getmedia/b58cc501-f4aa-479d-970e-fa622433ea90/110714_tafe1.aspx?&ext=.jpg)
Peddle Thorp Design Director Peter Brook said the building embraced both cutting edge environmental design and forward and flexible educational thinking.
“The building has a strong emphasis on adaptable classrooms to create any size and any configuration,” he said.
![](/getmedia/3aaadfc5-2b98-40d3-9aec-57d75f046c83/110714_tafe2.aspx?&ext=.jpg)
The building adopted ESD design principles which resulted in a 5 Star Green Star without additional budgeted funds - a remarkable achievement in today’s environment
Design features of the building include:
- Larger classrooms than any other Holmesglen campus project, with a controlled abundance of natural light;
- Vegetated green wall concealing a naturally ventilated partial basement carpark;
- Sun screening to the west elevation;
- Glazed sunscreens to east and north elevations to reflect natural light deeper into classrooms;
- Vegetated green wall sunshade device & teaching zone for horticultural campus;
- Passive and active chilled beam technology used through out student and staff zones, for a cheaper and cleaner environment for all; and
- Smart technologies within each classroom.
![](/getmedia/9fd3fb58-3f1c-463e-bd23-2da37f8e23d1/110714_tafe3.aspx?&ext=.jpg)
Each classroom is linked to the building management system for individual controlled ‘shut down’ and ‘start modes’, which creates a great advantage in reducing running costs, maintenance of mechanical plant, lighting and overall capital costs over the buildings life span.![](/getmedia/2f6eb6f2-c74b-43ad-b55f-783b887407cc/110714_tafe4.aspx?&ext=.jpg)
Designed, documented and constructed on budget with 1.5 per cent project variations, the class rooms were also built on time.