Swinburne University
The Junction

Nestled in the heart of Hawthorn's bustling Glenferrie Road lies The Junction, a building steeped in history and heritage. For years, this iconic landmark has served as a familiar beacon for the community, transforming from factories to bars, nightclubs, and other centers.
 

IRM, a team with over 30 years of industry experience in refurbishment projects, was entrusted with the monumental task of breathing new life into this beloved building. Their mission: to repurpose it into Swinburne's state-of-the-art Student Union and Collaborative Support space.
 

With meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to quality, IRM embarked on a journey to restore and enhance the building's most distinctive features. These included:

- Carefully removing existing leadlight windows and replacing rotted timber frames with new ones. This delicate process involved transporting a single window to a manufacturer who meticulously replicated all details of the frame. The building's original leadlight was then seamlessly inserted into the new frames and refitted into the existing openings, restoring the building's most elegant feature and character.

- Transforming cramped and poorly lit spaces by removing low-height ceilings, supporting roof trusses with new structural steel, constructing a new raked ceiling, and installing numerous skylights. This created an abundance of natural light and open space, breathing new life into the building.

- Enhancing accessibility by adding an external elevator to provide disabled access to the upper level. Initially only accessible via a steep series of non-compliant stairs, IRM retreaded each stair to comply with standards, constructed a new external ramp to the main entrance, and built a new cladded lift structure with an internal cart to make the building fully accessible.

- Preserving history by refurbishing the original awning. IRM disconnected all electrical components, replaced all sheeting and drainage, and repainted posts and awnings to retain its original appearance.

Through their tireless efforts and unwavering dedication to excellence, IRM has successfully revitalized The Junction for generations to come.