Galen Challenge – Exposed Outdoor Sports Courts

As a regional school, Galen’s campus is regularly exposed to extreme temperatures, restricting outdoor sports activities and learning opportunities for students. An existing double-court sports area suffered from minimal natural shade coverage with complete exposure to excessive heat, rain, and damaging UV.
Galen needed a coverage solution that would instantly expand the usage of their double-court area and protect students in any weather.

Greenline Solution – Central Sports Hub

Greenline partnered with Galen to design, build, and install an all-weather solution to deliver complete coverage of both outdoor sports courts.

The aesthetically stunning, modern PVC design transformed Galen’s outdoor sports courts into an extra-large Central Sports Hub. Students and educators can use the space for everything, from daily assemblies to student presentations, with complete protection from rain, excessive heat, and dangerous UV exposure.

The Greenline team customised Galen’s Central Sports Hub installation to align with the existing space, ensuring the uninhibited use of rotating basketball/netball rings and avoiding the need to relocate essential high-pressure fire outlets. Installation of the project was scheduled during the school holidays to eliminate any disruption to learning.

Positioned adjacent to the Canteen area, Greenline’s solution provides additional all-weather protection for students throughout breaks. At the same time, fully integrated LED lighting allows Galen to schedule sports activities, school events, and presentations anytime, day or night, without compromising visibility.

Galen Challenge – Uncovered Primary Pathway

Located in the centre of the school, Galen’s admin office was challenging to identify, resulting in visitors wandering throughout the campus attempting to find the critical building. An existing pathway to the admin building was directionally confusing and exposed to the elements with zero coverage from rain or searing summer heat. The lack of clear, visual guidance to the admin building presented a risk to child safety, with visitors occasionally interacting with students to request directions.

Galen needed to transform their existing pathway into a covered walkway that would allow visitors to easily navigate the campus and quickly locate the admin office. The solution also had to provide students, educators, and parents with all-weather access throughout the school. Galen required a practical solution to provide coverage, enhance wayfinding, and connect existing buildings with a bold design that would improve the appearance of the area.

Greenline Solution – Feature Walkway Experience

Greenline partnered with No. 42 Architects to design, build, and install an all-weather walkway solution for Galen providing complete coverage from the school entrance to the admin building.

Greenline’s Feature Walkway begins with large, branded signage that invites visitors to proceed toward the admin building by providing an obvious visual cue. The feature walkway is custom designed to incline from left to right with sections of varying heights throughout for a striking visual experience. Integrated, support-mounted LED lighting diffuses vividly against the white PVC roof, enhancing wayfinding with an illuminated pathway.

While navigating the walkway, Galen’s school history is displayed alongside attractive gardens, ensuring an immersive experience for the entire 100-metre journey. At the end of the walkway, the admin building appears in a special section designed with ultra-high roofing to maintain an open feel with natural lighting. The unique design of the final walkway section allows Galen to use existing flagpoles for Anzac ceremonies and other special events.

The Greenline team carefully designed the feature walkway to maximise all-weather protection and contribute to the natural environment. When rain appears, water flow is carefully directed away from entrances and towards gardens, keeping students dry at intersections with other buildings while providing water for nearby plants.

Installation was completed in several stages during the school year, with new gardens added alongside the structure as part of the transformation. The Greenline team overcame the need to relocate essential services using large, shallow concrete footings rather than standard deep footings. At the same time, the team was able to maintain disabled access ramps using customised supports that extend beyond the footprint of the admin building.

Greenline’s feature walkway experience delivers complete all-weather protection and introduces a modern, cohesive feel to buildings that previously appeared disjointed. Students, educators, and visitors can now easily navigate the campus in complete comfort, protected from the elements.

Galen Challenge – Exposed Pickup Locations

Galen students were accessing bus services or waiting to be picked up by parents at three designated locations within the school grounds. The existing pickup locations were basic uncovered pathways alongside ageing roads with low levels of natural shade, poor evening lighting, and complete exposure to the elements.

As part of a large project to redevelop their internal roads, Galen needed to transform student pickup locations into comfortable waiting areas for students, supervising teachers, and arriving parents. The solution was required to deliver total protection from the elements, enhance security with vivid lighting, and include sufficient space for large numbers of students to gather at the commencement and completion of each day.

Greenline Solution – Student Protection Shelters

Greenline partnered with Galen to design, build, and install three coverage solutions for student pickup locations to protect students in any weather.

Greenline’s all-weather PVC Student Protection Shelter solutions provide complete coverage for student pickup locations across all three areas. The clever and visually appealing cantilever-style design allows high levels of protection while maintaining a small footprint. Drainage is simplified using integrated guttering, which allows water to flow directly into stormwater drains. After dark, bright LED lighting on each column elevates security by providing total visibility.

Galen’s student protection shelters were installed throughout the school year, with Greenline carefully coordinating the project to align with the road and car park redevelopment. The combined project has reshaped the area into an attractive, functional, and safe location for students of all ages. The bold design aligns with all existing Greenline structures building upon the connected approach that has evolved from previous projects.

Students, educators, and parents can now enjoy complete protection from the elements across every pickup location, with Greenline’s student protection shelters successfully transforming an area exceeding 270 metres in length.

Galen Challenge – Additional Outdoor Learning Space

The pandemic changed on-campus learning forever, creating an immediate need for additional outdoor spaces, including quality external learning environments. Galen recognised that open-air, outdoor learning spaces provided a safe location where learning could continue with a lower risk of virus transmission. Post-pandemic, additional outdoor learning space would provide shaded areas for sports spectators and for students to enjoy breaks from learning.

Greenline Solution – Dual-Purpose Shade Sail Area

Greenline worked with Galen to design, build, and install an aesthetically attractive shade solution to provide students and educators with years of outdoor learning success.

The Greenline team developed an ultra-large shade sail solution incorporating two independent sails to maximise the shade coverage. Each ultra-large shade sail, measuring 17m x 10m, was erected on supports at a height of 7.3m. Sails were colour-matched in white to disappear into existing structures and align with the surrounding natural environment.

The project incorporates several unique enhancements, including future-proofing with the ability to easily add another sail to existing support structures as requirements change, vandal fins to protect the sails, and crash pads to protect students from injuries.

Galen’s new outdoor learning space, situated between two existing tennis courts and a sports oval, allows for clever, dual-purpose usage. In addition to an open-air learning space, the new shaded area delivers ample shade for spectators throughout school sporting events.

Greenline completed the entire installation for Galen in a total of three days on-site, ensuring that students endured minimal disruption and allowed the space to be used as quickly as possible. Galen’s new shade solution provided the school with unlimited outdoor possibilities. Students can now use the area for lessons, debates, presentations, and events. Simultaneously, spectators at sports events receive a comfortable, UV-protected location to enjoy every moment of sporting events.

Galen Catholic College is ecstatic with Greenline’s campus transformation – practical solutions to challenging problems underpinned by a cohesive, connected, and modern design.