Riverina Conservatorium of Music
The transformation of a former Roads and Maritime building into a state-of-the-art music conservatorium.
Repurposing a 1980s government building
We led the transformation of the former Roads and Maritime Services building at 1 Simmons Street, Wagga Wagga into a state-of-the-art home for the Riverina Conservatorium of Music.
The conservatorium provides much-needed music education services for the Riverina region.
The ambitious vision to repurpose an unused, 2-storey government administration building from the 1980s into a bespoke music education facility took innovative planning and design. This included:
- getting planning approval to change the building’s use from public administration to education
- ensuring the building’s new additions were sympathetic to and considerate of the site’s location in a heritage conservation area
- delivering well-designed, high-quality spaces for teaching, administration and performance, including a dedicated percussion studio, 20 acoustically treated individual studios and 2 large rehearsal spaces
- replacing and heightening a large part of the existing roof, effectively doubling the volume of the space, to create world-class acoustics for the rehearsal and performance spaces
- installing a 78.3 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which will generate approximately 109 MWh of solar energy yearly. This equates to avoiding 89 tonnes of carbon emissions yearly. Installing a solar system contributes to the NSW Government’s solar target under the Resource Efficiency Policy. It also reduces the conservatorium’s ongoing operating costs.
The successful delivery of this $12 million project will allow more children and young professionals to be involved in high-quality musical education, particularly in isolated and disadvantaged regional communities.
The Riverina Conservatorium of Music moved into its new premises in February 2023.
Background
The project began following the sale of the conservatorium’s former site.
We completed the refurbishment design in consultation with the Riverina Conservatorium of Music. In 2020, Wagga Wagga City Council approved the change to the building’s use and the refurbishment plans.
In August 2021, we awarded the construction contract, which included a commitment to use trades and suppliers from the Wagga Wagga region.
Building was completed in February 2023.