Resource Recovery Learning Centre global award

The world is waking up to the waste inherent in the term (and the concept) of ‘waste.’ 

Understanding that our current material culture of extraction, production, consumption and disposal is a key contributor to the multiple crises facing us, councils and communities are changing words, and practices – namely, from ‘tip’ a self-evident term, to ‘resource recovery,’ an action that is likewise equally clear. 

The world is changing, whether we like it or not, demanding transformative shifts in our processes, practices and material outputs. 

REALMstudios is very pleased to be making an ongoing contribution to a small but significant exemplar in this transformation, being a part of the team for Shoalhaven City Council’s Resource Recovery Education Centre.  The team is led by Terroir, and includes Atelier Ten, Cantilever, and Second Edition, among others. 

As befits its location and purpose, the project aims to answer a salient question: how much of a building can be made from re-purposed materials?  Or, more broadly, how can we re-purpose a toxic, deracinated site, into a living lab for education and inspiration? 

Others have recognised the project’s potential importance, as it has just won its category at the World Architecture Festival, lauded as the top ‘future project’ in educational buildings.    

Client: Shoalhaven City Council

Architect: Terroir

Environmental Consultant: Atelier Ten

Engineers: Cantilever 

Salvage and reuse strategists: Second Edition 

Located on Yuin Country