Case Study
Melton Christian College
The Project
Melton Christian College, based in Melbourne, required a double court gymnasium with additional facilities including:
- Protected outdoor areas
- Spectator seating
- Toilets and change rooms
- Meeting rooms
- Staff rooms
- Store rooms
- Class rooms
However, a key requirement for the college was for the building to be as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible. Architect Director, Damian Summers, was tasked with designing the gymnasium to meet the brief.
PROJECT DETAILS
Melton Christian College
Builder
Raysett Constructions
Architect
Summers Architects
Installer:
Trio Plumbing
Products
Core: XFLAM
The Challenge
One of the challenges faced during construction was building approvals and permits processes due to the Southbank-Docklands apartment fire which occurred not long before this project. Because of this, the process was more stringent. ASKIN however, was able to address concerns and demonstrate to the building surveyors that XFLAM easily met the requirements for Australian standards.
The Solutions
XFLAM panel was the building product that was specified and supplied for the interior and exterior walls, ceiling, and roofing. It was selected for its:
- Fire performance
- Energy efficiency
- Unlimited colours and finishes
Due to the thermal values of the XFLAM Panel, the facility can maintain a stable temperature from summer to winter and doesn’t require any mechanical heating. As a result, the gym is highly energy- efficient and environmentally friendly, while saving money on heating and cooling. The panel is also prefinished and structural, so no additional carpentry, plaster, or paint contractors were required during construction.
“The XFLAM panel was quite efficient in the construction process, able to cover large areas of walls and roofing in such a short amount of time,” said Summers.
In this instance, the college used:
- Roofing – XFLAM Colorbond steel in Shale Grey with a Metric 4 Rib profile
- Exterior walls – XFLAM Colorbond
- Shale Grey in Silkline profile
“The panel also has an aesthetic appeal within the architectural design,” said Summers. “We used it with a translucent roofing and façade system. Together they worked really well.”
The Results
The college now has an indoor facility that allows generations of school children to use the impressive basketball, netball, volleyball, and badminton courts. The basketball and netball court sizes, which were built to Olympic standards, dictated the size of the gymnasium, with the other facilities being built around this. Not only has the brief been achieved with the gymnasium facilities, but an energy efficient building was delivered. It uses minimal electricity for lighting and has no need for heating or cooling, ensuring the key sustainability requirement for the college was met. Increasingly today, commercial building designs need to be aesthetically pleasing while having environmental benefits.
XFLAM panels have been installed in many schools and sporting facilities throughout Australia and New Zealand. In each case the thermal values, high fire performance, multitude of style options available, and the fast and efficient installation during construction have been major advantages.V