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13 August 2021

The Douglas Boyd Centre has been recognised in the recent Master Builder’s Association of Victoria Awards with Geelong based construction company, Rendine, receiving recognition for ‘Excellence in Construction of Commercial Buildings Over $6 Million’. This accolade was later trumped when Rendine were named, Regional Builder of the Year (South-West) for the same project.

From the outset, Marcus Oldham Council were delighted that two local businesses rose to the top of the tender process and together, brought this state-of-the-art building to life. With an incredibly unique and well considered design conceived by Mike Nowson and his team from 3iD Architecture and Rendine’s ability to deliver on this vision and construct a truly ‘future-focused educational facility’, The Douglas Boyd Centre is a firm statement of Marcus Oldham’s commitment to deliver world class tertiary educational programs in agriculture, agribusiness and equine management.

The initial brief set by the Marcus Oldham management team demanded high-quality construction and professional execution that not only brought modernity to the College, but reflected the essence of the business through the inclusion of colours, textures and artwork.

Most importantly, the building needed to provide a range of dynamic and interactive learning spaces suitable for the modern-day learner. Marcus Oldham College Principal, Dr Simon Livingstone said, “3iD Architects and Rendine Constructions had met a challenging brief which was to deliver a “remarkable” facility, that was technologically advanced as well as being a visually stunning and engaging learning space.”

“At a time when the agriculture and equine sectors are booming, The Douglas Boyd Centre has brought another level of excellence to the Marcus Oldham educational program. The opportunities for students to learn and connect with leaders from around the world are endless.”

“And as far as the building goes, you cannot help but feel a sense of warmth and connection, every time you enter a space. It is particularly rewarding to see the students enjoying it in the way it was intended; full of vibrancy and energy.”

Rendine Constructions General Manager, Michael Thornton, said the company’s role was to apply its engineering and construction knowledge to the initial design. Cleverly resolving all the details is a testament to the breadth of Rendine’s capability, and commitment to the extraordinary construction project.

“It was a pretty amazing build, because of the complexity,” he said. “Nothing was flat, everything was triangulated. We worked with materials that had some inherent difficulties in those situations, and produced a stunning result.”

“We always strive to work with our client,” Mr Thornton said. “The construction site was located in the centre of a busy campus, so we needed to ensure the least possible disruption for students and staff. With that in mind, we’re extremely proud of the result and thrilled that this incredible build has been recognised.
The Douglas Boyd Centre was named after Foundation Patron, Philip Myer’s grandfather, who was a successful pastoralist and former Chairman of the Australian Wool Board during the 50s and 60’s.

The Centre features a range of interactive learning spaces that include; a technologically advanced auditorium featuring tiered seating and flexible breakout classrooms which seats up to 200 people, a number of meeting rooms including a 24-seat boardroom, a digital hub and editing suite, a reading lounge and lecturer office spaces, all set over three levels with overhead walkways, and spectacular voids interconnecting different zones. The unique and highly complex project was completed by extensive landscaping works.

There are three wonderful spaces within The Douglas Boyd Centre that the College Foundation still has available for named sponsorship including, the Tech Hub, Central Auditorium and Foyer.

Thank-you to Philip Myer, The Yulgilbar Foundation, Yarram Park, John B Fairfax, Frank Hargrave, The Anthony Costa Foundation and The Scobie & Claire Mackinnon Foundation who all have provided named support throughout the Centre.

The Marcus Oldham Foundation, through the generosity of the College community has now raised in excess of $6million for this $10million project.

Should you be interested in putting your name to a building that promises to advance the next generation of agricultural and equine leaders, please contact the Foundation Committee to discuss your options further.