Fire station of the future

In the final year of their three-year building design course, the students worked closely with CFA in Ballarat to develop a collection of architectural drawings that have impressed both university staff and CFA managers.

The futuristic designs produced by the students were the result of a cooperative arrangement between the Grampians regional office and Ballarat University.

Grampians Regional Manager Don Kelly said CFA was pleased to help the university with its building design course.

“It was a great opportunity to get new ideas and some lateral thinking from a group of young enthusiastic design students,” Don said. “The designs are fairly elaborate against our usual standards, but there are innovative ideas that could one day be incorporated into the CFA fire station of the future,” he added.

Ballarat University building design teacher Ron Pickford said the 12 students who undertook the Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural) worked closely with Ballarat City brigade Station Officer Bernie Fradd. “He gave the students a design brief including the essential ingredients needed for a CFA fire station building,” Ron said.

“This was not a simulation. The work done was based on a real-life job and the outcome reflected what graduates can expect when practising as building designers,” he added.

He said the students put in more than 500 hours both on and off campus to complete the project. “They also had to conduct the administrative procedures needed to construct a new fire station, including permit applications.

Ron said this cooperative venture has provided mutual benefit for the university and CFA. “Working with Don Kelly and other CFA people has been a delight and the students were particularly pleased that they could work with people in a practical, direct way.”

The three-year course at the University of Ballarat teaches students how to develop working drawings, and the components needed in the construction of residential, commercial and industrial buildings. This involves construction technologies, their application and associated detailing, documentation accuracy, safe building design and the legal responsibilities of the building designer under the National Construction Code.

The 12 graduates are now all employed in the industry either with building design, engineering firms. “We are very proud that our students are now graduates of choice within the industry, and Victoria has the highest demand for this type of skill in Australia.