Latrobe Gov Hub

Deliberately positioned as an anchor for the region's revitalisation, the brief for the Latrobe Valley GovHub was to be the fulcrum on which the community pivoted towards a more sustainable future. The design was to create an anchor office building within the heart of Morwell and was to accommodate key government tenants as well as provide spaces for local businesses to lease. A number of key community spaces were to be included making the building form part of a greater community hub.

The design concept was articulated through the notion of "transition", recognising that not only were the Government tenants physically relocating, but the entire region was also moving towards a healthier, more connected, and sustainable future. Latrobe Government Hub was designed as a highly activated and articulated building with a rich material palette, forming an anchor building within the fabric of the Morwell Community. The design is reminiscent of a bucket wheel excavator, gesturing back to Morwell's past. The material palette and design were intended so that materials could be sourced from within the local region, as well as building trades.

Latrobe Valley GovHub proudly displays its local identity, overtly celebrating connection to place and community. Even though the design and development of this project predated current global concerns, the result of which caused a shift in focus to 'locally sourced', this project was already well-positioned to weather the storm. Latrobe Valley GovHub is an example of a work environment that is for everyone. It is approachable, achievable, and sustainable. It shows that good design is no longer reserved or restricted to privileged CBD centres. It celebrates the character of the region by being human, humble, and democratic. Long live local.

Latrobe Valley GovHub wraps its workspace around a generous central atrium, flooded with natural light and clad in certified sustainably sourced timber. The stair, attired with CO2-neutral Marmoluem, the tone reflecting the nearby hills, brings people up through the centre, affording visual connection and sunlight penetration across the vast floorplates. Staff are empowered to choose between multiple work settings that best suit their task, and the opportunities for collaboration are vast. The north facing edge of each work floor is crowned with an outdoor balcony, affording staff the opportunity to engage in activities out in the sunshine and fresh air. The outside is brought inside via crazy paving, cork, vic ash, bluestone, and the colours of eucalypt gums. A business lounge, community hub and (soon to be open) café, bring a permeability and community connection to the ground floor plane. Gracing these floors is the salvaged timber from the old squash courts, saved from landfill and given a new life. Recognition and celebration of Indigenous culture is respectfully shown through commissioned artworks as well as utilising traditional techniques of burnt engravings of cultural pattern work on timber tabletops.