We would like to thank the school community for their commitment to sustainable design and their support of Sunshine Coast professionals and skills. In particular we would like to thank Mark Ormond for his tireless efforts to make the project a success, Sarah Ellis for being a champion of sustainable outcomes, and James Burrell and his team, including foreman Brad Sayle, for constructing the buildings to such high quality.

A key factor in the school's brief from the beginning was the notion that it was most important to do the projects well rather than necessarily building them as big as possible for the budget. In the end the buildings were brought in around the same cost and possibly under the cost per square metre of the standard template halls and libraries built by others under the same program at state schools, so by all accounts (no pun intended) the projects were a resounding success.

The hall and library will be officially opened by the local member, Alex Somylyay, on November 9th.

Designed by WD Architects and built to a high standard by JBH Commericial, the Performance Hall is an inspiring learning environment developed in an environmentally responsible and ethical manner in keeping with the principles that underpin all aspects of the school. See www.wdarchitects.com.au/education.php for more photos.

WD Architects is a finalist in the 2010 BPN Sustainability Awards for our design of the Ryan Residence. This 9 star straw bale and rammed earth house is highly energy-efficient and employs a range of innovative sustainable materials, fixtures and fittings. It is sited to best effect; modest in its street appearance yet uplifting in its internal spaces, textures and colours and flexible and practical in its layout and connections.

Funded by the Building the Education Revolution (BER) initiative of the federal government and brought in under budget by an ethical and skilled Sunshine Coast team including WD Architects, James Burrell Commercial builders and the School community, the Library/Resource Centre at Noosa Pengari Steiner School is an excellent example of sustainable building in an educational context.

Employing energy-efficient design responsive to the micro-climate of the site, sustainably-sourced timbers, low-embodied energy materials and non-toxic finishes, with universal accessibility, water-saving features, minimal impact on the surrounding bushland and plans for edible gardens later this year, this project covers all of the bases for truly sustainable building.

Designed by WD Architects to be a useful, beautiful and didactic building and built to a high standard by James Burrell Commercial, the Library/Resource Centre is an inspiring learning environment developed in an environmentally responsible and ethical manner in keeping with the principles that underpin all aspects of the school.

The building is designed for the micro-climate by being shaped to catch prevailing breezes and employing a simple under-floor temperature regulation strategy, keeping the building cool in summer and warm in winter without the need for air conditioning. The design uses sustainably-sourced timbers, non-toxic finishes including Rockcote claycote render and Ecostyle paints, composting toilets and energy-efficient lighting.

The library / resource centre was funded by the Federal government BER program as the first stage of a larger project for the school which includes a multi-purpose hall and music/dance room which are under construction with completion scheduled for mid-August. Judging by media reports on problems with other BER projects, these buildings for the Steiner School are a rare success story with project having a high quality of design and construction in a highly sustainable manner and coming in under budget thanks to the efforts and talents of WD Architects working closely with the school community and with the good fortune of having a quality, ethical builder in JBH Commercial.