Fern Bay Public School

Weathertex sustainable hardwood timber cladding was selected for the Fern Bay Public School Learning Hub project, the first in a planned rollout by School Infrastructure NSW of ‘Designed for Manufactured Assembly’ (DfMA/factory-built) modular classroom projects. The project has delivered four home bases, a practical activities area, a quiet room and a new covered outdoor area for the growing school community. Completed late 2021, Fern Bay was designed by Woods Bagot and built by Lipman with Viridi Group, manufacturers of DfMA/factory-built construction systems. The new building was constructed using a ‘kit of parts’ methodology, which uses engineered mass timber to rapidly deliver the permanent learning spaces whilst achieving a highly reduced carbon footprint when compared with traditional construction methods. Key points… Weathertex Weathergroove Natural 150mm panels with timber battens applied and finished a Grimes & Sons controlled erosion stain. Plus Weathergroove Smooth 1200mm panels with a painted finish which will soon be decorated by local Worimi First Nation artists. Being DfMA, all walls, floor and ceiling cassettes were fabricated by Viridi Group, Campbelltown. The walls were clad, battened and finished in Viridi Group’s factory, prior to ‘flat-pack’ transportation to site for erection by Lipman Construction. All stakeholders (including the CEO of Schools Infrastructure) were thrilled with the outcome of Fern Bay Public School, impressed by the aesthetic outcomes combined with Weathertex’s ‘better than zero carbon footprint’ which is unmatched at this price-point