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Building the future of learning at Dandenong Tech School
Building Engineering has completed the new Dandenong Tech School, an innovative learning facility designed to connect young people across Melbourne’s south-east with emerging technologies, industry practices and future career pathways.
Delivered for Chisholm Institute of TAFE in collaboration with Tectura Architects, TSA Riley and the wider consultant and subcontractor team, the purpose-built facility creates an immersive environment where technology, architecture and education come together.
Designed to be more than a collection of learning spaces, Dandenong Tech School takes students on a journey of discovery. Changing views, materials, lighting and spatial experiences unfold throughout the building, encouraging curiosity and exploration as students move through the facility.
Technology is central to the learning experience, with the Digital Lab one of the project’s standout spaces. Featuring decorative ceiling lighting and acoustic ceiling panels, 32 gaming stations, ten 75-inch displays and impressive large-format LED screens, the space provides an engaging environment for students to interact with technology in new ways. Transparent LED film is another unique feature that further reflects the facility’s innovative nature.
Delivering the project within a live Chisholm Institute campus and to a particularly tight construction program required careful planning, clear communication and close collaboration across the entire project team.
With the building positioned beside one of the campus’s main entries, traffic management was a constant consideration, particularly when coordinating deliveries of the large precast panels around busy campus periods.
Another key challenge involved connecting the Tech School’s power supply from an existing building across the campus, requiring trenching works through the length of an operational car park. Building Engineering worked with the project team to resequence these works to fall within the summer holiday period, significantly reducing disruption to students and campus operations while maintaining the overall construction program.
Now complete, Dandenong Tech School will introduce students to emerging technologies, contemporary industry practices and tertiary education opportunities earlier in their educational journey. Designed around the principle that every student matters, the facility provides an inclusive environment where young people from all backgrounds can see themselves participating in STEM learning and the industries shaping the future.
For Daniel Gerrard, Site Manager at Building Engineering, the project’s successful delivery came down to the collaborative approach shared across the team.
“Projects like this are only possible through genuine collaboration. Working closely with Chisholm Institute, Tectura Architects, TSA Riley, our consultants and subcontractors meant we could respond quickly, solve challenges and maintain the expected quality, all while meeting a demanding program.”
The result is a high-quality, technology-rich learning environment that reflects the vision and commitment of everyone involved in its delivery.
We look forward to seeing Dandenong Tech School come to life as students begin using the facility, and the impact it will have on young people and the wider community for years to come.
