Location: Loxton SA Architect: Department for Administrative and Information Services Builder: AJ Chappell Bricklayer: Contract Paving Contractor: Barry Davis Project Cost: $4.3 m Austral Bricks products: • Lonsdale Ascot Pewter bricks • Grove Autumn Sunset 50 mm pavers   NOVEMBER 2005

“Seeing is believing,” says Kent Spangenberg proudly. Kent is the principal of the newly redeveloped Loxton High School, in South Australia’s Riverland. Until last year the campus was dominated by timber transportable buildings that lacked functionality and were expensive to maintain. “Our buildings are now state-of-the-art, as good as you would see anywhere.”

The $4.3 million project commenced soon after masterplanning was completed in 2003. Specialist buildings housing science labs, art rooms, an administration area, library and staff room are the last and most substantial addition to the campus. Existing durable buildings were retained and renovated and the transportables earmarked for demolition or removal. “We had to build around the existing buildings,” comments architect George Hum.” “It was exciting but quite challenging.”

Brick veneer cladding to steel framing allowed the school to combine economy with the durability and low maintenance of face brick. The brick colour and tumbled finish unifies the campus, tieing the new work to the retained buildings. Paving was an integral to the project, with over 90,000 Autumn Sunset clay pavers laid. The buildings are perimeter paved, feeding a network of paths, seating areas and quiet study zones.

George Hum is pleased with the end result that he describes as combining functionality with simplicity. “I like the simple lines.”

This is echoed by Kent Spangenberg who describes the redeveloped school as “functional but very aesthetic.” He is convinced that staff and students “feel better working and studying in an aesthetically-pleasing environment. Your productivity can do nothing but increase.”