Nirimba TAFE Greemskills building
Department of Education and Communities
(GAO - project architect design and construction documents)
The Nirimba Greenskills building is a federally funded project intended as a facility to train trade students in environmentally sustainable practices. The building not only serves as a teaching space for “green” electrical, hydraulics and refrigeration trades, but also has a community education function showcasing different technologies in these fields.
The building design demonstrates principles of sensible passive design including north orientation, appropriate sunshading, provision of a small microclimate modifying courtyard, maximized cross flow ventilation, and location of blade walls to capture summer breezes and deflect winter winds. Exposed east and west facades to habitable areas have been designed with reverse veneer construction to enhance thermal performance. The roof orientation maximizes northern exposure for the array of solar collectors. Rainwater is captured and used not only for training purposes but also for flushing toilets and for irrigation.
The building is essentially of lightweight construction. The public access areas are on insulated suspended framed floors while the workshop is built on a slab on ground.
