This project saw the redevelopment of the former Mechanics Institute Hall at 76 Elizabeth Street, Edenhope into a new multi-user community hub.

The new Edenhope Community Centre is a place for gathering of people, services, information, ideas and events. This building contains the town’s public library, meeting spaces, commercial kitchen, storage facilities and gathering area for 250 people (seated at tables) which can expand to include a general activity space and east facing courtyard. The construction budget was $1.8M including a Federal Government Grant of $700,000 for drought affected rural communities.

The long floor plan of the building has been zoned to create fluid and flexible separations between various activities by locating the kitchen, toilet and storage spaces between a general activity space and the larger function space towards the rear. Simple activities such as visiting the library or attending a meeting will occur in the spaces near the entry while more long term use of a function or whole day activity are generally undertaken in the more private rear spaces of the building.

The entry of the building is set back from the existing hall to line up with the neghbouring St Malachy’s Church. A large room projects out from this line, protecting the street courtyard from west sunlight and gestures towards the entry welcoming people to the building.

The environmental quality of all buildings comes from an integration of all aspects of the environment – visual, thermal and acoustic – into a seamless whole. This synthesis follows from a grasp of the issues of environmental control which, while founded on the underlying physics of engineering and modern practice, sees the problem as one of arts as much as of science. At Edenhope’s Community Centre, this is revealed in the creation of a dramatically rising and falling roof line and the fracturing of the east walls with windows and a courtyard near the entry. These elements allowing both natural light to fill the internal spaces and passive solar ventilation to occur through hot air escaping the building.

Meeting Space are transparent, calm and well lit; inviting Edenhope’s community members and visitors into this building to relax and share in the activities taking place inside.