GroupGSA designed the library and community hub for the rural community of Bacchus Marsh, located on the Main St, or ‘Avenue of Honour’—a commemorative planting of 281 Canadian Elms in honour of those who served in World War One and the last of it’s kind in the world.

The exposed steel frame is a refined ‘trunk and branch’ structure which ties in with the historic ‘Avenue of Honour’. The skin of the building is dark and finely ribbed, taking the fine lines in the leaves and the darkness generated when the Avenue is in full leaf. The building’s openings are a stripped down representation of the Avenue’s negative space in the canopy, where sun penetrates the openings.

The building is part of a precinct master plan and broader cultural strategy for the town. As well as providing a new language for the streetscape, including street furniture and low maintenance planting, the building also acts as an environmental beacon, advertising Council’s commitment to positive climate change initiatives.