Ballerrt Yeram-boo-ee Centre
ARCHITECTURE
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LANDSCAPE
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INTERIORS
Ballerrt Yeram-boo-ee Centre
The Ballerrt Yeram-boo-ee Centre is the largest prison-based mental health facility in Australia, and was designed as part of the Ravenhall Correctional Centre.
With statistics from the National Mental Health Commission showing that prisoners are 2-3 times more likely to have mental illnesses and 10-15 times more likely to have a psychotic disorder, it is a game-changer in the delivery of mental health services and prisoner rehabilitation.
The design includes 75 forensic mental health beds with spaces for acute and sub-acute care, as well as a complex transition unit and a 10-bed residential mental health area. It also includes sensory modulation rooms, patient accessible meetings rooms, safe de-escalation areas, program spaces, large classrooms and ADL kitchens, smaller dining rooms, laundry facilities, a multi-faith prayer room and family visits area with children’s play area. The Ballerrt Yeram-boo-ee Centre also has access to an active courtyard, sports courtyard, and a quiet garden for contemplation and connection to nature.
Stage A works included the refurbishment and extension of an existing two-storey classroom block as well as the construction of a new covered walkway through the centre of the school.
PROCESS
The new works included two accommodation communities each consisting of a 76-bed cellblock and eleven 4-bed residential units, and a therapeutic community containing a 40-bed cellblock, a therapeutic support centre, twelve 4-bed residential units, and an adjacent 8-bed continued detention unit. The expansion also included a gatehouse complex, external stores, shared services including an operational support and operational management building, ten management cells, visits centre, health centre, reception and discharge building, kitchen and laundry, education centre, recreation building with outdoor recreation facilities, and four new industries workshops. Work within the existing prison comprised of the prisoner shop, and the refurbishment or demolition of existing buildings.
METHODOLOGY
Design initiatives have focused on sustainability, including a tri-generation plant, a large amount of double-glazing for temperature stability and the careful use of the thermal mass contained within secure facilities. As a result of the design, potable water consumption will decrease even though the facility’s capacity has doubled. Guymer Bailey Landscape in partnership with a local Victorian landscape consultant also assisted with the project, landscaping the Main Street walkway and entry area to the gatehouse, as well as designing the new sports oval.
TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND
The Woiworung People
COMPLETION
2017 (in association with Peter Hunt Architects)
LOCATION
Ravenhall, Victoria
CLIENT
John Holland - GEO Australia (for Department of Justice and Community Safety - Victoria)
PROJECT CONTACT
PHOTOGRAPHY
Scott Burrows Photography, John Holland
VALUE OUTCOMES
“GB-A were an absolute pleasure to work with. The team on site and in the office never cut corners and were committed to delivering a very high quality project.”
Jim Spainard, Golburn Enterprise
Designing for a sustainable future is a core part of our organisational philosophy. Drawing on the knowledge from our Greenstar accredited team members and specialist consultants in environmentally sustainable design, we ensure our project teams integrate creativity with scientific rigour, to create designs that are conscientious of the natural environment and local ecology. Designing for a sustainable future is a core part of our organisational philosophy.
PRINCIPLES OF PASSION
During the design process, our project team not only considers the physical context of the designs but also examines the social and cultural context. Through every design, we look for ways to inspire positive attitudes, behaviours and emotional responses in people to encourage the responsible use of resources, increase cooperation among occupants, and communicate the values of society and cultural diversity.
Designing for a sustainable future is a core part of our organisational philosophy. Drawing on the knowledge from our Greenstar accredited team members and specialist consultants in environmentally sustainable design, we ensure our project teams integrate creativity with scientific rigour, to create designs that are conscientious of the natural environment and local ecology.
We design built environments from a holistic, sustainable perspective: each project reconciles ecological and social impacts within the current economic climate. We holistically evaluate environmental, cultural and financial sustainability in every task we undertake.