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Daramalan College Performing Arts Centre

Value

$21.7M

Location

Dickson, ACT

The Daramalan College Performing Arts Centre was recognised with five awards at the 2025 Australian Institute of Architects awards, including the prestigious Canberra Medallion and the National President's Prize for Client of the Year.

Joss Construction delivered the $21.7 million Performing Arts Centre at Daramalan College, a Catholic secondary school in Canberra, providing students and teachers with a professional-standard facility for performance, music and drama education. The centrepiece of the building is a 180-seat theatre featuring timber stage flooring, professional performance lighting, an audio system and dedicated control room, with fully retractable tiered seating that opens the entire 270m² theatre floor for teaching or 360-degree performances. The theatre is supported by two drama spaces, three music rooms, twelve single-student practice rooms and a full complement of back-of-house and staff facilities.

The building’s structure combines structural steel, concrete columns, in-situ and precast concrete, with a facade of almost 100,000 bricks arranged in distinctive feature patterns and complemented by glazing and metal cladding. The bricks were sourced from Australia’s first certified climate-neutral brick manufacturer, with Daramalan College the first Climate Active application received by the supplier, reflecting a shared commitment to sustainable construction. During delivery, Joss identified and resolved critical design issues relating to power capacity for the theatre’s AV systems and the structural steel design incorporating the featured Durra Panel ceiling system, working closely with the consultant and client teams to deliver revised solutions without impacting program.

Construction took place immediately adjacent to the operational school campus, requiring careful coordination of deliveries and works, and the pausing of construction activities during key school ceremonies. Throughout the 93-week program, there were no incidents involving students, teachers or parents. The project was recognised with five awards at the 2025 Australian Institute of Architects awards, including the prestigious Canberra Medallion, the Enrico Taglietti Award for Educational Architecture, the Interior Architecture Award, the National President’s Prize for Client of the Year, and the EmAGN Project Award.

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