‘Engaging curious minds’ is the Scotch College Science motto, thinking which became intrinsic to the design of the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Science for year 7-12 students. Shortlisted at the 2017 World Architecture Festival, the SZCCS includes 21 general science and specialist laboratories, student-lead research spaces, prep rooms, staff facilities, collaborative areas and an auditorium.
Project Name: Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Science
Studio Name: Cox Architecture
Project size: 12770 m2
Completion date: 2016
Building levels: 4
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Photography: John Gollings
The architecture supports the pedagogical program of Scotch College: integration of theoretical and practical learning which includes group, independent and tutor-supported learning.
The building is a contemporary but sympathetic addition to the Campus. It comprises sandstone-clad pods floating on a limestone plinth and linked by glazed facades. Vertical stone louvres incorporate a sine-curve and a central void introduces light into the floor plate.
The design brief was a building that would last 100 years. It’s hoped that the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Science will prepare students for a lifetime of learning and curiosity-both within and beyond the fields of Science.
