Our Lady Help of Christians is a Catholic co-educational school founded in 1961 that teaches about 200 students in the North-West of Ballarat. Our Lady Help of Christians received a government grant for major upgrades to their school in 2018. The upgrade meant they would provide top-quality facilities which would be used by teachers, students and parents for administrative offices and classrooms to enhance the educational development and learning in the rural west of Victoria.

Versalux worked closely with K20 Architecture, SDP Consulting and Our Lady Help of Christians to create an intelligent lighting solution for the open-plan learning spaces. Best in class luminaires have been selected based on meeting a comprehensive criteria to serve the needs of a school focused on improving the educational and administrative areas of both the interior and exterior environment. The practical lighting solution adds value to the modern design of each space, adding the finishing touches to illuminate and be integrated into the building’s architecture.

INFINITI luminaires have been specified as the sole luminaire for classrooms, wire suspended elegantly from the building’s ceiling. A high-performance fixture selected with a clean black finish, these commercial grade extruded aluminium luminaires are designed to improve the experience of teachers and students, providing excellent horizontal uniformity on workspaces and superb vertical illumination on faces and resources for full coverage throughout the entire space.

The inviting open plan layout works in line with the flexible learning spaces that connect to other classrooms and hallways; the INFINITI systems assist communication between educators and students, allowing them to concentrate on tasks at hand and transition between spaces. The luminaires itself retains its status as flagship fixtures by Versalux.

The INFINITI approach was replicated in the administration and reception areas with modules and continuous runs suspended in an unorthodox pattern to create visual impact. Direct, homogenous illumination and a fresh aesthetic encourages staff to remain alert and empowered throughout the working day.

The LUCCA PENDANT’s are harmoniously incorporated into the design of the teacher’s lunchrooms. The circular aspect of the LUCCA PENDANT draws attention in the space, the direct/indirect illumination functionally serving to ensure maximum visibility by working mutually with the large windows for an excellent blend of natural and artificial lighting.

Materials and colours are a perfect match for the spacious interior aesthetics of the flexibly designed dining room. Teachers can sit or stand while having discussions and socialising. The LUCCA PENDANT achieves outstanding colour rendering to visually highlight individuals whilst delivering low glare output, creating the ultimate solution for a relaxed and calming environment with a radiant effect.

Throughout the covered exterior walkways of the schoolyard YAMA cylindrical luminaires are integrated for their superb performance and quality. YAMA fixtures feature durable, aluminium construction with a smooth, IP65 rated housing to prevent insects, dust, and debris from interfering with the internal workings. The YAMA beautifully illuminates the transition elements for students, teachers, and visitors to be guided securely, ensuring safety and secure movement between the buildings, car parks, and drop off zones, supporting the school to meet its obligation for all individuals to remain secure at all times on their premise.

Photographer: Peter Bennetts

The Our Lady Help of Christians co-educational school has won the following awards:

1. Melbourne Design 2020 by Driven x Design – Public & Institutional – Gold Award
2. Gov Design Awards 2020 by Driven x Design – Educational – Silver Award