Wood design features in local government building in Ballarat, Vic

Ballarat GovHub was officially opened on April 21. Partner Stefan Mee from John Wardle Architects writes about the project’s aspirations and reflects on how the design engages with its context and its purpose.

The completion of the Ballarat Gov Hub means that over one thousand workers can now move in, find their desk and perhaps contemplate the view of the town hall’s clock tower, or nearby church spire, as they start work.

We know that timber sequesters carbon, whereas cement manufacture releases significant carbon emissions. For this reason, the Gov Hub’s primary structure is mass timber, a combination of CLT (cross-laminated timber) and GLT (glue-laminated timber), which radically reduces its carbon footprint. Inside, the revealed timber columns and ceiling beams organise each office floor into neighbourhoods where collaborative teams can be arranged.

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