project 01
ash wednesday memorial
The Ash Wednesday Memorial pays tribute to an horrific day in 1983 when the most treacherous bushfire engulfed the small town of Cockatoo in the Dandenong Ranges.
A former kindergarten nestled amongst the devastation was to provide a safety haven for many local children and adults stranded due a significant fire front.
The unique carousel design building from the 1970’s having been left derelict for some years again brought together the local community in order to save the integral building icon from a planned demolition.
Thankfully Heritage Victoria acknowledged the historical significance and thereby together with local fund raising, sponsorship and other collaborative support a phoenix was to re-emerge from the debris.
Sustainable building design principles were an essential part of the project and most notably being the retention of the main steel structure as well as the use of natural sustainable materials locally sourced where possible.
Rammed earth walls encompass the design both internally and externally, with acoustic plywood panelling featured to ceilings, walls and joinery.
A key challenge to the design being the existing bitumen lined dodecagon roof form which required considerable renovation and detailing to resolve, as well as the restructuring of the highlight glazed lantern feature.
An exposed aggregate floor from locally sourced toppings mirrors the natural colours of the surrounding landscape to which forms a complement to the rammed earth.
A significant component of the project being the protection of a notable Princess Di tree planting to the front entrance path. The mature Wattle tree was specially monitored throughout the works and formed a focal point for the community in the collaborative landscaping works surrounding the building and featured walkway ramp.
