Ballarat Regional Library
When the Ballarat and Regional Library was consolidated to a new building in Doveton Street Ballarat, TGM was selected to provide professional structural engineering services. The library houses many historical documents as well as serving the needs of the district through the mobile library service. As this was to be a new structure a great deal of design development and review of other libraries was carried out before the final footprint was adopted.
A feature of the building is a deliberate openness in the design of the circulation area, which provides light and functionality. A considerable amount of “back of shop” features were provided to ensure staff have a modern work space that will meet their needs for years to come. A number of distinct features were incorporated in the architecture with the intention of creating an iconic building for the 21 st century.
Associated with the library is a two level car park for library staff and the general public. Difficult foundation conditions were encountered during the construction of the car park when the edge of an old basalt flow and an ancient creek bed with soft alluvial deposits were discovered. Engineering consideration to provide a safety freeboard for floor levels and access ramps to protect the building from the local flood prone region was also required as part of the project.
