TAFE Clarence Campus Redevelopment

The original Clarence Campus buildings were constructed as Warrane High School in the early 1960’s and passed to TAFE Tasmania in the 1980’s.

After twenty years under TAFE operations, the building had become under utilized, poorly configured for contemporary Vocational Education and Training programs and contained finishes, fitting and building services that had reached the end of their life cycle.

A five –stage development program was undertaken to address these shortcomings.  Apart from addressing the tangible inadequacies, the design approach has been to retain and highlight the framework and features of the original structures, with the addition a new layer of design elements.

The new works have consolidated the disparate buildings to create a new first point of contact and a social focus for the campus. The way-finding within the campus benefits from a unique address for each building and a completely accessible circulation path between all levels, including provision of a new lift to upper floors.

New external building elements allows for selective inclusion of natural light, modification of the internal environmental conditions and incorporate a passive approach to glare and heat control.

All the buildings have their own identity, linked by a common design philosophy. The key objective has been to transform the campus into an exciting and vibrant learning environment by employing light, colour and movement as design devices.

The planning of the new campus allows a greater interaction between the internal and external environments, both in the sense of direct physical access or in the form of views out to the surrounds.