The Augustine Centre

The Augustine’s Centre is a BER initiated project. The brief required a formal gathering/performance space to augment the informal covered areas at St Augustine’s College.  It is programmed as a multipurpose hall to hold 400 people in either a formal arena or in independent group arrangements. Sited to fit within the overall context of the P-12 campus masterplan, the building sits at the centre of the communal facilities. It is strategically located along the circulation spine, which runs north to south through the grassed common, connecting the junior and senior school.  This prominent location enables the building to act as a focal point in the landscape, visible from all vantage points.

The building proper is identified by its uplifting form on a sloping site; the concave roof is a response to the convex roof of existing adjacent buildings.  A floating roof structure and a lower canopy straddle the circulation spine creating a promenading zone, framing views to the common from the multipurpose rooms/green rooms.

The plan is organised with auxiliary functions flanking the hall. Spaces within the building are all multifunctional: the entry foyer expands into the covered open space adjacent for larger gatherings and the interior layout offers flexibility.