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Cemintel Barestone showcases the colourful design of a new community hub and ensures it will remain timeless, elegant and stylish for years to come.
Nestled in the hillside surrounded by parkland, the new Pascoe Vale Community Centre is a colourful reminder of the diverse community it serves. Moreland City Council teamed up with K2LD Architects to design a new space that would support the organisation and its services, while encouraging the expansion of their programs through thoughtful design.
A modern building with a pathway leading to the entrance. The pathway is flanked by colorful vertical beams in shades of blue, yellow, red, and green. The structure features grey walls and yellow triangular shade sails. Trees and clear skies are visible in the background.
A modern building with gray concrete walls and a colorful stained glass entryway. The entrance is accessed by a wooden pathway flanked by white concrete barriers and greenery. Glass panels and a triangular canvas shade are visible on the right side.
Irene Giavas, the council’s Project Manager and Lead Architect, said the vision for the new building was all about creating a vibrant, diverse space; offset by its natural surroundings. “We wanted the community to be involved in how the building should look and feel. They wanted space and light, and to be connected to nature,” says Irene.
“These combined elements created a lively, playful design with colour and light, that still has connections to the natural environment around it. The vivid colour palette can evoke emotional responses, and people feel they can connect more with the space,” continues Irene.
An outdoor playground at a daycare center with a shaded canopy. A toddler in a red outfit stands on the colorful rubber flooring, while an adult supervises in the background. The area has benches, play equipment, and is surrounded by a building and trees.
A modern, brightly lit communal area with wooden ceiling panels featuring fluorescent lights. The room has turquoise walls and a matching kitchen counter. There are bar stools at the counter and tables with chairs. A large, cushioned bench is in the foreground.
Mal Bas, Lead Architect at K2LD, commented on how Cemintel’s Barestone was instrumental in bringing this vision to life. “The design process was heavily influenced by the exploration of colour, to represent the complex and diverse community the facility supports.
When the centre opens its doors, it shouts colours to the whole community,” says Mal. “A natural, organic looking material was needed to balance the strong colour elements in the design.
A modern, rectangular building with a minimalist design features a gray exterior and large glass windows. It is set against a backdrop of trees, with a smooth concrete pathway leading up to it, and a cloud-filled blue sky above. The ground is covered with mulch and rocks.
A brightly lit room with large windows, colorful furniture, and toys. The furniture includes a polka-dotted armchair, a pink ottoman, a purple sofa, and a television. The room has views of tall trees outside and appears to be designed for children.
Cemintel Barestone has a beautiful stone finish with warm tones, providing contrast without dominating the design,” adds Mal.
K2LD designed the building to be playful and inviting. The architectural benefit of using Barestone is its ability to be cut to size onsite, giving total design flexibility.
Minimalist architectural structure with a modern design featuring clean lines and large glass panels. The walls are smooth and white, contrasting with the blue sky in the background. The scene exudes simplicity and contemporary elegance.
A colorful preschool building with multi-colored vertical bars surrounding a playground area. The playground includes a shade sail and is set against a clear blue sky with a tree visible on the right. The foreground features a grassy field.
“When you look at the building you can see the panel sizing is quite organically broken up. It was a complex but worthwhile process that really added to the aesthetic of the overall design,” says Mal.
“The combination of different sized cladding panels gave us the ability to transform the composition of the facade and break up the rigidity of the space,” continues Mal.
A modern building with a facade featuring a large multicolored glass section in the center. The rest of the facade is grey with rectangular windows. A bench and a bike rack are in front of the building, with a few people walking nearby under a partly cloudy sky.
Colorful interior view of a staircase with handrails on both sides. The walls and large windows are illuminated in vibrant shades of green, yellow, orange, and red, creating a rainbow-like atmosphere. The lighting casts colorful reflections on the steps and walls.
Public facilities play an important role in supporting communities, so choosing sustainable, durable materials that can stand the test of time was at the forefront of the design process. Barestone has a natural, contemporary finish that doesn’t require painting. It weathers naturally over time, cementing the building’s legacy in the community for many generations to come.
“We’re really happy with the design and the way the Barestone enhances the space. It’s such an incredible community building, and its design ensures it will remain timeless, elegant and stylish for years to come,” concludes Irene.
Modern concrete building with large rectangular panels and several tall windows. A glass railing extends from the roof, providing a barrier above a lower concrete tier. The sky is clear with minimal wisps of clouds, and trees are partly visible in the background.
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