Runcorn State High School
Trade Skills Centre

This new state-of-the-art Runcorn Trade Centre provides young people with engineering and manufacturing career pathways, and mirrors the type of building, layout and fit out provided in an operational industrial facility.

The new Metro South Engineering Trade Centre has facilities at several local schools, including this project at Runcorn State High School.
This training facility caters to students in Engineering and Manufacturing Technology, and provides introductory trade sampling through to Certificate 2 qualifications.
It delivers addresses skills shortages across various trades including air conditioning and mechanical services, plumbing, boat building, metal fabrication, sheetmetal trades and welding.
This project had a significant list of requirements and a tight budget, presenting a challenge for the design team to achieve the stated brief in a cost-effective way.
We worked closely with the school to understand their specific needs for the project, ensuring the completed design would exceed their expectations.
The project included construction of a new facility with engineering and fabrication workshops, a focused theory area, kitchenette, staffroom, and amenities.
Our design solution delivered functional, fit for purpose, comfortable, healthy and flexible educational facilities, which inspire student learning and support the delivery of a modern curriculum.
To ensure the building would remain comfortable for students and educators all year round, we increased the insulation spec – compared to typical industrial facilities.
And we carefully sited windows and other openings in the façade and roof to enhance thermal performance and natural ventilation, while preventing excess noise from activities inside the building from emanating to nearby structures.