Letterbox, Author at Croxon Ramsay

Andrew’s primary focus as is to achieve exceptional service, design excellence and sustainable outcomes on all projects. Andrew’s key skills lie in the early creation and development of design solutions, and subsequent balance between design integrity and the changing pressures and influences of contemporary building processes. Andrew has been design architect for a number of elite sporting facilities and numerous educational buildings.

The redevelopment of the Balwyn Library, in Melbourne has created a modern library with improved community facilities.

The total redevelopment and refurbishment of the existing library created additional area for the library collection, community and meeting rooms, larger study and casual reading areas, enhanced library and community services, functional and energy efficient building services and staff and collection sorting areas to facilitate work flows.

The landscape was rejuvenated and improved the amenity and significance of an important community and cultural facility for Balwyn. The original library was built in 1978 and was designed by Daryl Jackson, a significant Melbourne architect. The vision for the redevelopment was to sensitively treat the existing building and maintain heritage features while creating a contemporary library for the community.

Armani is a Architectural Graduate working variety of community and education projects. Having recently completed her Masters degree, she has previously had experience in health planning and educational buildings.

Wyndham City Council’s Saltwater Community Centre, located in Point Cook, is in many ways a ‘pilot case’ for the council and the municipality, departing from the prototypical community centres recently deployed to fledgling communities on Melbourne’s ever expanding periphery. The building was imagined as an abstracted tree, reinstating a notional form of shelter to the site whilst also signifying new life. A green metal roof ‘grows’ strategically over and down the sides of the building in places, while in others, soffits are lined in a warm timber that speak of a tree’s under croft.
The main foyer is set up as an internal street that has areas where participants can gather before and after activities, a large amphitheatre creates a space for performance and is also used as a thermal labyrinth to pre cool and heat outside air. There is a large community run produce garden that leads onto the community covered deck and into the community kitchen for cooking classes and support of healthy living programs An art studio also leads onto the main street where permanent and temporary exhibitions can be set up. Art is integrated into the building through working collaboratively with a local artist for the patterning in the external brickwork and an internal perforated ceiling. The whole notion of engaging with the community is also been challenged. There is no permanent reception desk, but a number of pods along the internal street where the community can access Council and community information or be assisted by a staff member by sitting side by side at a pod.

Photography by Dianna Snape.

The Batesford Reserve Community Centre provides the opportunity to develop and extend much needed services and facilities to the community in the Ashwood area of the City of Monash. The Centre provides increased access to community meeting space and improved access to community health facilities. Monash Youth and Family Services (MYFS) are based at the Centre, along with MonashLink, the University of the Third Age (U3A), representatives from Power Neighbourhood House, Amaroo Neighbourhood Centre, Ashwood Ashburton Chadstone Tenants Group and VCAL students from Berengarra Secondary School.
This multipurpose facility also sets best practice environmental design benchmarks. The ESD initiatives include an innovative ventilation and cooling system which incorporates a sub floor cooling system and thermal chimneys. The extensive use of internal thermal mass and high performance building envelope means that the building internal temperature is maintained with minimal heating and cooling. The building management system monitors the internal temperatures and lighting control for best energy efficiency while low VOC and recycled materials improve the indoor air quality.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

The Electra Community Centre is an important part of the City of Monash Council’s objective to develop and extend services and facilities within the municipality. The community centre is an integrated facility and accommodates a number of different community groups and clubs that cater for both indoor and outdoor activities. Central to the design of the Community Centre is the provision of environmentally sustainable design. An integrated approach for energy efficiency, occupant comfort and water harvesting has been implemented in the design. Passive design strategies were employed to reduce the cooling and heating load, including natural ventilation, external shading, increased building envelope performance and exposed thermal mass. Natural ventilation is provided through low-level louvres on the façades, and high level exhausts. This delivers both fresh air and large energy savings. Daylight reaches deep into internal spaces, while shading to the northern façade, light shelves and high performance double glazing control the internal spaces. The system incorporates light sensors and automatic dimming as natural lighting permits, ensuring optimum balance.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

The new Community Centre at Laurimar is a multifunctional facility that supports a range of children’s services and community activities. With the close proximity of the town centre and primary school, the Centre provides for much needed services and community spaces in the area. The Laurimar Community Activity Centre creates an integrated hub for all generations and provide resources for community activities. This is supported by a integrated model of service provision. Central to the design of the Community Centre is the provision of environmentally sustainable design. The ESD initiatives include natural ventilation, low VOC materials for improved indoor air quality, high efficiency mechanical systems. The extensive use of internal thermal mass and high performance building envelope means that the building internal temperature is maintained with minimal heating and cooling. The building management system monitors the internal temperatures and lighting control for best energy efficiency and incorporates user feedback.
This new community hub is reflective of City of Whittlesea’s strategic vision and engagement with developers to provide co-located services for children within new housing estates. A primary school, playing ovals, a private childcare centre and future town hall are located right in the town centre, co-existing with 3 storey mixed use buildings on zero plot setbacks, all a result of Delfin’s desire to create a dense town centre and bring the community to the ‘high’ street. This density has the dual benefit of increasing amenity to residents while the a typically ‘urban’ area significant increases sale value to surrounding houses.

Photography by Dianna Snape.

The Sunshine Youth and Community Centre was designed to create a facility that provides for and integrates a number of community facilities with a particular focus on the activities and support programs for young people. The Centre was designed to create an integrated youth hub, that combines both a new community building and the heritage listed McKay Harvester Building. These 2 buildings are connected by a light filled atrium. A key vision of the Centre is flexibility within the spaces, to allow for ample opportunity for different modes of use. The main atrium foyer provides an inviting central entry space bringing together both the new and historic buildings. In addition it opens up to the 140 seat theatre space providing additional space for large gatherings and connection of the theatre space to the outside. The theatre space in itself is flexible with fully retractable seating that allows the area to turn into a large multipurpose space.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

Images in attached folder The Lyndarum Community Activity Centre is the second multi- functional facility Croxon Ramsay has designed for the City of Whittlesea. Similar to the previously Community Activity Centre at Laurimar, this Centre at Epping is located adjacent to a primary school and a town center. The links between these functions are an important part of the urban design response. The centre creates and reinforces the urban edge along Lyndarum Drive.The City of Whittlesea has a strategy to establish a Community Activity Centre within all residential precincts. They are multi-function facilities that deliver a range of integrated early years and community services. They have a strong neighbourhood presence and become a vibrant meeting place.The new Centre at Lyndarum includes 2 Kindergarten rooms, Maternal and Children’s Health, community spaces and staff administration. All these activities are linked by a central spine within the building that provides both access to different parts of the building and light deep into the space. Central to the design of the Community Centre is the provision of environmentally sustainable design. The ESD initiatives include natural ventilation, low VOC materials for improved indoor air quality, high efficiency mechanical systems. The extensive use of internal thermal mass and high performance building envelope means that the building internal temperature is maintained with minimal heating and cooling. The building management system monitors the internal temperatures and lighting control for best energy efficiency.

The Phoenix Youth Centre was designed to create an integrated youth hub, where young people can both participate in programs and access relevant services. The Centre contains social, workshop and training spaces for young people of different cultural backgrounds and office spaces for agencies that provide services for young people. The existing former 1940’s Air Raid Precaution building on Buckley Street, was adapted for reuse as the main program spaces for youth activities. The nature of the building with a large hall space and concrete bunker leant itself to the new youth uses. These include an auditorium space for performances and large youth events, the concrete bunker which became a recording studio and the main program space for socialising and study. A new 2 storey building at the rear of the existing building houses the agencies such as health, counselling and legal services for young people. Performance and arts spaces are incorporated into the existing Air Raid Shelter building. Western Edge arts has a permanent art space in the entry area for exhibitions, while the old bunker is used as a recording studio and a larger performance space for youth and community events.
A key vision of the Centre is to provide the highest of environmentally sustainable outcomes for the building. The focus was on providing an integrated approach to energy and water use, occupant comfort and materials selection. Natural ventilation, thermal mass, a hydronic heating and cooling system and a sophisticated Building Management System result in a combined passive and active design solution where materials and building elements perform multiple functions. The sustainable elements of the building are often evident, encouraging occupants to engage and learn – fostering sustainable living.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

The design for the Clare Court Children’s and Family Hub endeavours to provide a Centre that is welcoming and fosters encounters, interaction and connection. The core of the Centre is based around a flexible and active space for activities and a place to meet for all families and children. The entry extends from an outdoor gathering area through to a family gathering area including a multipurpose studio space and kitchen. This opens out to the family produce garden. Activities for families could include meeting space, internet access, produce garden, cooking and gallery space. The Home Bases are the main rooms that each of the children groups will use. While the Studio and central collaborative area of kitchen and produce garden create opportunities for children of different groups or even different ages to interact. The new Home Bases are designed for flexibility for different children groups and numbers. The mix and sizes of rooms will create an integration of different services. The building will endeavour to provide a benchmark for future developments through providing best practice children’s service, inclusion and collaboration of families and staff, community engagement and a significant Centre in the municipality.

Photography by Dianna Snape.

Croxon Ramsay is working with the City of Melbourne to provide interior architectural design for this former school in Carlton.
The Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre will be the first multi-use community hub of its kind in Carlton. A community and cultural facility integrating full service library-information and resources, library-training and learning, shared non exclusive, space for community service provision (including youth services) and social activities and programs. An extension to the existing building footprint to accommodate a range of current needs, as well as flexibility for future service delivery. This design includes additional library reading and multi-purpose space, along with separate arts and performance spaces. This option allows the building to be a more versatile amenity for the future.

Photography by Dianna Snape.

The Sydenham Library Community Centre includes facilities for both library and neighbourhood house. The centre is a fitout of approximately 1300m2 on the First Floor of the town centre shopping district and opposite the train station. This proximity to transport and other activities provides a central point for community access. The vision for the fitout was to create a welcoming community feeling for the Centre and to turn what was originally an office space into a dynamic community space. The Centre includes a number of large multifunction program spaces, meeting spaces and breakout space for community use. It also houses the Sydenham Library group computer area for both interactive and group learning and a computer lab. This is supported by the library staff areas and meeting rooms.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

The Glasshouse accommodates Collingwood Football Club’s growing administrative and training requirements, whilst also providing an opportunity to actively engage with Collingwood supporters and the broader community. From its inception the Glasshouse had very public aspirations, balanced within a framework of sporting and commercial enterprise, the building was intended to return (and improve) the public amenity lost following the demolition of the nearby Edwin Flack Pavilion. Occupying a difficult wedge of land between the historically significant former Olympic Pool, the Yarra River and Olympic Park Oval, the design contends with complex geometries, finite space and the daunting task of adding to one of Melbourne’s most significant architectural icons. Split over three levels, the café and main entry on the ground plane activate the building edge while reinforcing the public nature of the facility, snaring crowds that regularly fill Olympic Boulevard. From the main entry the building bifurcates into sports and training facilities on the lower level, or up half a level to the public function centre. The function venue on the upper level is provided with fenestration, following extensive thermal modelling, to both the river and the ovals, creating a unique space that capitalises on the spectacular views afforded to it. Highly crafted interiors respond to the building’s varying program, while an extensive AV integration, are both the result of close collaboration with the consultant team. On both the oval and river facades the new form responds to the lively chiaroscuro of the Olympic Pool’s exposed structure, reimagined as a series of facets that express the carefully detailed structure of the new building while continuing this play of light and shade across the facades, a subtle gesture which links the language of the two buildings without overt pastiche. On the east the building responds to the curving geometries of the oval, while the roof also gracefully arcs downward in a subtle avian gesture. The building’s palette is emblematic of the fine line the design of the building had to walk. The white brick and black express seam cladding befitting a contemporary public building, but also unmistakably a nod to the buildings happy new tenants.

Photography by Dianna Snape.

Coffey is an multidisciplinary international company covering areas of expertise in environmental, project management, mining and international development. Croxon Ramsay were engaged to design the fitout for the new Melbourne office. The floor area is approximately 1500m2 and located over 2 wings with a central reception, meeting rooms and staff area. Workstation areas are based on the company’s corporate model, while small meeting rooms and breakout spaces are spread out over the floor plate.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

Blackwell Publishing is the world’s leading society publisher, partnering with 665 academic, medical, and professional societies. Blackwell publishes 850 journals and has over 6,000 books in print. The company has over 1,000 staff members in offices in the US, UK, Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, Singapore and Japan. As part of an ongoing involvement with Blackwell Publishing, Croxon Ramsay was engaged to provide space planning and interior design services to respond to company restructuring in their Melbourne headquarters, as well as their Japan and China branches. The proposal included design options for spatial layouts and work flow for different departments in the Melbourne office. While a proposal for refurbishment and additional space was required for the Japan and China offices.

The Winjeel P-2 Facility for Westbourne Grammar builds upon a recently completed Early Learning Centre. Though the physical connection between buildings is for staff only, the siting of the new P-2 facility adjacent to the ELC responds to the broader campus masterplan and creates an important familiarity for the young students as they graduate from one building to the next.

At its inception, two key factors were instrumental in shaping the project. The first, and overarching consideration was to provide an architectural response to compliment the school’s Reggio Emilia educational philosophy, the second was a benchmarking tour of other recently completed P-2 facilities, creating a frame of reference that allowed the client to ‘fit’ their aspirations .

The learning spaces were then arranged in a triptych around a central ‘studio’, essentially a dedicated wet area where students can come together across classes to collaborate (see SK02 below). The ‘studios’ connect the three classrooms with elaborately detailed joinery units that allow students to store work and see through to the other spaces, creating a subtle definition of the classroom extents without sealing each room hermetically. A series of sliding doors designed into the studios do allow teacher to further ‘close down’ the spaces into individual units, a flexibility which emerged from the early benchmarking study as a key requirement.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

St Catherine’s School is currently undertaking an extensive redevelopment of their Senior School buildings. The works include enclosing an existing courtyard to create an atrium space, re-inventing a multipurpose building into a canteen / café / hub and redeveloping the existing senior school classroom and library spaces. The existing senior school buildings were a series of connected but separate spaces. The proposal is to create a new layer of building providing connecting circulation spaces, break out spaces and multipurpose spaces. The new building also creates a new façade to the central courtyard of the campus.

Photography by Dianna Snape.

This project comprises the redevelopment and extension to the existing Year 7 LOTE centre. The existing building is the oldest building on the campus and occupies the high profile site on the corner of Sayers Road and Marquands Road. The redevelopment has provided the opportunity to refurbish the existing fabric and construct a new iconic extension to greatly enhance the visual appearance of the campus. The program within the building is split into two parts centered around a new pedestrian link through to the new campus. The LOTE faculty has been located a provide greater connection back to the main campus while careful attention has been given to the Yr7 facilities to ensure a subtle mix of connection and seclusion has been achieved to assist students with the transition from primary to secondary school. The Yr7 spaces have been supplemented by an extensive undercover outdoor space providing weather protection for breaks and an alternative teaching option. The traditional classrooms have been enhanced by a large flexible multipurpose space which can be transformed from a large open plan area to a 150 seat theatre by the use of operable walls, sliding doors and retractable seating. An ongoing priority for Westbourne Grammar School is an emphasis on Sustainable Design. The building utilises and number of energy minimisation strategies including natural ventilation systems, lighting control and rain water capture and reuse. The redevelopment also forms part of an overall masterplan for the site generating new pedestrian connections and resolving a number of car parking and traffic flow issues.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

Learning Communities The vision for the Middle School Centre is to provide best practice in educational design and planning to create the highest of learning standards. The premise for the Centre is that it promotes excellence in learning and teaching. The important factors of this are not only the spatial and conceptual planning of the Centre itself, but the integration of the building and underlying philosophy with the greater school community and the local community.

Studios
The concept for studio provides new opportunities for supporting teaching and learning and changes the standard contained and separate classroom to a collaborative, interdisciplinary learning community. The studio breaks down the boundaries between disciplines both philosophically and physically. It can support project-based learning, peer tutoring, technology-aided teaching, cooperative learning and team teaching. As well as supporting multi-age classes, multidisciplinary curricula and flexible timetabling. The physical attributes also lend itself to the expansion of studios to provide for large groups and teachers collaborating for co-teaching. This is further extended to the possibilities of connecting internal and external learning spaces along the learning street.

Learning Street
The Learning Street is the social boulevard of the Centre, sustaining the different modes of learning, promoting interaction and providing for social and quiet spaces, gallery space and performances. The Street also connects the inside with outside, is spacious and light to encourage interaction. Some of the main features on the interactive street are: flexibility and opportunity

Focus Labs and Project Spaces
The specialised focus labs and project spaces include interactive learning for arts, science and technology. These spaces provide specialist equipment and facilities for these activities to promote collaborative learning to develop and produce products, information and specialised skills. The focus science lab is also integrated with a propagation glasshouse, where students can learn about horticulture, the environmental effects of capturing passive solar energy and the use of rainwater collection for propagation.

This interaction with natural resources and recycling is extended further by a series of outdoor learning spaces including the seasonal produce garden and wetland.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

The Junior School Music Hall provides an essential asset to Carey Grammar School. As a purpose built music hall it has been designed for flexibility for multiple uses for the School. Other activities include sports, large formal and informal gatherings and the potential for the Junior School to provide a multifunctional space for the greater campus. The Hall is situated on the edge of the campus and is an important part of its public and community presence. It is situated on one of the gateways into the School and is designed to acknowledge and promote this entrance to the campus. The design and materials of the façade sits within the landscape reflecting the native vegetation around. Location and orientation of the Hall achieves a number of important outcomes. It is orientated to capture passive solar energy and good daylighting and to promote and enhance natural ventilation. Extended eaves also provide shelter for pedestrians entering the campus and negotiate a path form the street into the central courtyard.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

Croxon Ramsay with the Grove Group designed and constructed these relocatable classrooms for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The vision for the classrooms was to provide best practice in educational design and planning and environmental sustainable design to create the highest of learning standards. The concept for classrooms was to provide new opportunities for supporting teaching and learning and changes the standard contained and separate classrooms to a collaborative, interdisciplinary learning community. The classrooms can support project-based learning, peer tutoring, technology-aided teaching, cooperative learning and team teaching. Environmental sustainable design (ESD) underpins the approach to the design of the Classrooms. An integrated design that fulfils the spatial and user requirements, while providing an environmentally sustainable outcome is critical to the success of the project. The Classrooms have been designed to minimise energy use for mechanical heating and cooling through passive design strategies, improved indoor environment through CO2 monitoring and low volatile organic compounds (VOC) materials and potential water collection from roofs. The Department are rolling out these 2 storey relocatable classrooms across Victoria, with a minimum life expectancy of 25 years and a building that is capable of being relocated up to 10 times during its design life.

The Westbourne Grammar School Junior School comprised the relocation, restoration and refurbishment of the existing Heritage Listed 1870’s Holy Trinity Church Hall. As a result of development plans by the Church the hall was scheduled for demolition. Due to it’s strong connection with the school (the first programs were run in the hall) Westbourne Grammar took the opportunity to relocate the building to it’s Truganina campus as the new Junior School Hall.
The building was restored and refurbished to provide a Hall Space with Stage, Science Technology Room, Information Technology Room and associated support spaces. The building is timber framed with unique timber and steel trusses and clad in weatherboards. The works included extensive refurbishment of the existing fabric along with major upgrades to ensure services and amenities comply with current standards.

Extensive liaison was undertaken with Heritage Victoria to ensure the relocation methodologies and outcomes were conforming with the intention of the Heritage Permit.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

The former Melbourne Tramways and Omnibus Company Building at 669 – 675 Bourke Street and 20 – 38 Godfrey Street is listed in the Victorian Heritage Register and is considered a building of State level significant on architectural and cultural grounds. It was built in the speculative 1890’s and designed by the renown Melbourne firm Twentyman and Askew, responsible for other significant buildings in Melbourne’s CBD, Block Arcade, Stalbridge Chambers and the Finks Building.

The building was recently acquired by Donkey Wheel Ltd, a Philanthropic Charitable Trust. As an extension of their ethics Donkey Wheel House seeks to re-activate the building, re-animate the streetscape and offer a distinctive, innovative and creative environment. With the restoration and refurbishment of Donkey Wheel House the opportunity to once again establish a significant cultural, social, technological and environmental hub is evident and able to offer rich and diverse support to both its immediate community and to broader participants both locally and internationally.

Croxon Ramsay were engaged to provide a broad strategy for the refurbishment and re-activation of the building and to provide a staged approach to realise the completion of the entire refurbishment. The staging of the projects puts priority on establishing compliant and tenantable space within the Building. The projects range from immediate rectification works to the Main Hall roof and establishing tenantable space for the current tenants on the third floor. While future stages allows for overall building systems and works needed to establish building compliance, heritage works to the exterior facade and interior of the building specifically the main entrance and central staircase and lift, to refurbishment of the basement to second floors for new tenants and cultural activities.

Croxon Ramsay have been engaged by St Catherine’s school to undertake the documentation and management of conservation works to the Heritage Victoria listed Illawarra House.

Illawarra House, built in 1889 by prominent ‘land boomer’ Charles Henry James, is significant as an intact example of the ‘flamboyance and wealth’ of Melbourne in the late nineteenth century. The ‘French Renaissance’ style mansion has a number of original features for this period including the early adoption of red brick cavity construction and cast iron verandahs and portico’s.

St Catherine’s currently occupy the building as a boarding house. Adapting the building in this way has ensured the ongoing use will keep the building relevant into the future.

Collingwood football club has been a major tenant of the Holden Centre (Formerly the Westpac Centre/Olympic Pool) for the past 10 years, sharing with the VIS. With the relocation of the VIS to new buildings at Albert Park Collingwood have taken to opportunity to expand their facilities to ensure it remains one of Australia’s most successful and elite sporting clubs.

The Heritage Listed ‘Glasshouse’ was originally built as the 1956 Olympic Games Swimming venue – an iconic state of the art sport stadium design. Since then a number of redevelopments have taken place to transform the building into a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for Collingwood supporters, players, coaching and staff.

Croxon Ramsay have been engaged by Collingwood to assist in taking the centre to the next level by providing cutting edge facilities to deliver elite outcomes in sporting endeavour.

Internally and externally the building will be transformed. Works include:

The development of new MCG sized community oval on the adjacent site
New reception to enforce the centre as the Spiritual Home of the Collingwood Football Club.
Integration of a new mezzanine into the heritage listed stands to increase gym space.
Construction of a large scale altitude room to accommodate active fitness and support Collingwoods advanced altitude fitness program.
Construction of sophisticated warm and cold hydrotherapy pools.
Provision of a new full size netball court
New facilities for the football department, players, recruitment, sports science and medial staff and administration.
Extensive media and tv studio facilities.

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

The Mercantile Rowing Club Pavilion was redeveloped to improve the existing facilities and provide additional space in order for 2 new clubs to occupy the pavilion. The project included upgrading the function space, bar and kitchen to allow for greater function facilities. The gym was also extended and upgraded to provide new gym facilities for the clubs. New changes rooms and offices were created for the occupation of the new clubs. While the boat storage was re-organised and extended.

Photography by Dianna Snape.

The Glen Orden Pavilion is the redevelopment of the existing pavilion and a new extension with improved orientation and facilities. The brief from Wyndham City Council was for the building to be imaginative and innovative to position and orientate the facility to:

Achieve best presentation to the community in all possible directions;
Recognise the tracking of the sun and prevailing wind directions.;
Ensure safe entry exit and traffic management solutions;
Address landscaping objectives;
Consider long-term operational flexibility when reacting to changing circumstances;
Achieve a facility layout that is consistent with good building management practices, providing clear lines of sight for supervision, and creating an operationally safe environment;
Provide barrier free access for people with disabilities or special needs;
Passive solar design

Photography by Rhiannon Slatter.

The Wootten Road Pavilion is a new sports pavilion, car parking and landscaping for Wyndham City Council. There is a primary school on the adjoining site immediately to the north end of the site. The pavilion and car park provides an important link for after hour’s use of the site and the school. The project addresses the need for the growth of sport within the Tarneit West growth corridor, to meet the requirements of the Tarneit community and assisting in building a stronger, more cohesive and sustainable local sporting community. The facility is designed to create a multi-purpose and flexible pavilion, where local sporting activities can be undertaken in safety, while encouraging community participation.