Tarrawarra Abbey is a Cistercian Monastery.
It’s set on 400 hectares of grazing land at Yarra Glen in Victoria’s beautiful Yarra Valley.
The Yarra Valley is 60 kilometres north-east of Melbourne in Australia.
On 7th February 2009, a bushfire killed 40 beef cattle.
And destroyed several hectares of pasture.
It endangered buildings that sheltered several members of abbey’s community.
After such a close call, Baldasso Cortese Architects were engaged to design a secure fire shelter.
The site needed a safe place for the monks, farm workers, and community to shelter if threatened by fire.
Baldasso Cortese Architects designed a concrete bunker.
Nestled into a gentle slope, it was sited close to some of the farms residential buildings.
The building is made of boarded insitu concrete, slightly folded and bent, as it grows out of the slope.
Oregon boards laid horizontally were used for formwork.
That way, an organic finish to the grey colour of the concrete was gained.
That concrete will soften in appearance as it weathers and ages.
A sloped planted green roof makes the building nearly invisible from certain aspects.
And protruding copper shrouds with fire screens add to a sense of movement in the building.
These too will soften as they weather.
Orientated to north, the building rises 4.5 metres.
A series of cast insitu concrete blades were placed to focus views over the valley and beyond to more distant views.
The blades temper the harsh northern sun as it shifts across the building throughout the day.
Designed to double as a multi-purpose centre for the abbey’s monks, the interior of the building contains a communal gathering space, a tailor’s workroom, gymnasium, and an archive store.
Project Details
Project size – 237 m2
Completion date – 2016
Building levels – 1
Project Team
Architecture
Baldasso Cortese Architects
Baldasso Cortese is an established design practice with over 30 years of experience delivering exceptional projects.
Their diverse team of 60 design professionals work across studios in Melbourne and Geelong in Australia and Christchurch in New Zealand.
Structural and Civil Engineering
OPS Engineers
OPS Engineers are a professional, design-focused structural and civil engineering consultancy practice.
OPS Engineers (previously known as Perrett Simpson) are a trusted, respected and broadly experienced consultancy that has worked with many of Melbourne’s most highly regarded architectural practices since 1984.
Services Engineering
Medland Metropolis
Medland Metropolis is an international building services engineering consultancy comprising a network of offices in Australia, United Kingdom, and Europe.
Construction
Building Engineering
Building Engineering is an accredited, award winning commercial building company with headquarters in West Melbourne Victoria.
www.buildingengineering.com.au
Building Surveyor
BSA
BSA Building Surveyors is one of the leading surveying practices in regional Victoria offering a professional and committed approach to building surveying.
Photography
Peter Clarke
Peter Clarke is an established photographer with over 20 years experience. He works with a diverse range of clients including architects, design practices, government bodies, listed companies, and publishers.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2020 Baldasso Cortese Architects. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2020 Peter Clarke. All Rights Reserved.
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