The project architects on the Murrumba Downs Secondary School project chose COLORBOND Coolmax steel after considering several roofing materials for thermal efficiency.  

As one of the major COLORBOND Coolmax steel projects completed in Australia, Murrumba Downs Secondary School is leading the way in the next generation of ‘cool schools’ where maximising the thermal efficiency of the buildings has been a key consideration for the architects.  

Project architects, PDT Architects decided to include roofing made from COLORBOND Coolmax steel after discovering the discernable product benefits to both the school and the community.  

Andrew Smith, Senior Technician at PDT Architects explains that he was keen to see COLORBOND Coolmax steel used in the Murrumba Downs Secondary School project as a way of making the learning environment a more pleasant experience for both students and teachers alike without burdening the school and the environment with the continuous cost of air conditioning these spaces.  

Murrumba Downs Secondary School is part of the South-East Queensland Schools Project – a Public Private Partnership between the Queensland Government and the Aspire Schools Consortium that will oversee the construction of six more new primary schools in the fast growing South-East Queensland region.  

Built over two stages, the Murrumba Downs Secondary School will accommodate approximately 1,300 students.  

While Stage One consists of 16 completed buildings, incorporating a range of specialist facilities such as a science laboratory, applied technology centre, hospitality and food studies kitchens and an oval, Stage Two will see an additional 15 buildings constructed such as a sports hall and performing arts facilities constructed over the next two years.  

Studies show that compared to a standard roof made from COLORBOND steel in the colour Surfmist, a COLORBOND Coolmax steel roof in the colour Whitehaven can lower the internal temperature of a non air conditioned building by approximately 0.5ºC to 2ºC depending upon the building design.  

Compared to ZINCALUME steel, COLORBOND Coolmax steel lowers the internal temperature by approximately 2ºC to 4ºC.  

The potential increase in natural thermal comfort means that choosing a roof made from COLORBOND Coolmax steel may reduce annual air conditioning energy costs for the cooling of a building by up to 7.5%.  

COLORBOND Coolmax steel is a product from BlueScope Steel .