Low-carbon concrete helps shape Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub
Early collaboration between Holcim, project architects Buchan, and sustainability consultants delivered a concrete solution that supported design quality, long-term performance and lower embodied carbon outcomes for a landmark civic project.
A civic hub connected to place
Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub was created to serve one of Victoria’s fastest-growing communities with a building that is welcoming, flexible and deeply connected to place.
For the City of Greater Geelong and Buchan, the goal was clear. This needed to be a civic landmark that supports community life while expressing strong architectural and sustainability values.
Designing with Country in mind
Named Biyal-a, a Wadawurrung expression referencing the local Armstrong Creek landscape and watercourse as a place of many red gums, the library reflects a strong connection to Country and community. That sense of place was strengthened through collaboration with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.
Exterior view of Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub, showcasing how low-carbon concrete helped shape a civic building defined by design quality, durability and lower embodied carbon. Photo: © Tom Roe.
For Buchan, that narrative shaped the building’s architectural expression. Externally, the library adopts a simple form in raw concrete, with organic shapes and refined detailing that reflect the project’s “living water” concept. Paired with a warm interior palette, the result is a civic space that feels grounded, welcoming and connected to Wadawurrung Country.
Material choices aligned to performance and intent
Delivering on that vision required materials that could balance durability, architectural expression and support lower embodied carbon outcomes.
Concrete was central to the solution, both as structure and finish, placing added emphasis on performance, constructability and long-term resilience in a high-use public building.
Early collaboration shaped the outcome
Holcim engaged early in the process, collaborating with Buchan and the consultant team, including the project’s ESD consultant and engineer, for over six months to develop tailored specifications for ECOPact® and Geostone®, aligning architectural intent, performance requirements and sustainability targets within the tender documentation.
This early input reduced risk and gave the project team confidence that the specified solutions would deliver both performance and design quality on site.
5-Star concrete solutions for performance and design
The resulting approach combined lower-carbon performance with architectural clarity. The library achieved a 5-Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, with ECOPact® EPDs supporting the project’s broader sustainability outcomes. Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) provide transparent, independently verified information about the environmental impacts of a product across its life cycle.
ECOPact® provided a reduced embodied carbon concrete solution while maintaining the structural integrity, durability and finish quality required for a civic building of this scale. It enabled an expressive concrete architecture without compromising sustainability goals.
Interior view of Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub featuring Geostone® in Atlas, with polished and honed concrete finishes adding texture, durability and visual warmth to the civic interior. Photo: © Tom Roe.
Winter garden on level 1 at Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub, where Geostone® in Dark Matter helps shape a planted interior space that strengthens the building’s connection to the outdoors and distant landscapes. Photo: © Tom Roe.
Geostone® contributed to the project’s visual refinement through decorative finishes that introduced texture, contrast and a stronger connection to the broader palette of raw and natural materials. “Dark Matter” was used for the charcoal-coloured screed, while “Atlas” was used on the ground floor, with additional use across several balconies on Levels 1 and 2.
Recognition for design and sustainability
Completed in May 2024 and opened to the public on 1 August 2024, the project has received a 2025 AIDA Commendation for Sustainability Advancement from the Design Institute of Australia. It was also a finalist for the international 2024-25 Green Solutions Awards (New Construction Grand Prize) and shortlisted for a 2025 ArchitectureAu Award for Social Impact.
Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub demonstrates how early collaboration between architect, consultants and supplier can deliver stronger outcomes across performance, sustainability and design.
The result is a civic building that serves its community, but elevates expectations for how materials, design intent and delivery can align.
Interior social spaces at Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub create welcoming places for connection, learning and community gathering. Photo: © Tom Roe.
Designed for everyday community life, the reading areas at Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub provide inviting spaces for quiet reading, children and young families. Photo: © Tom Roe.
Designed as a welcoming civic landmark, Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub combines architectural expression, long-term performance and lower embodied carbon concrete solutions. Photo: © Tom Roe.
Exterior view of Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub, a civic project where concrete was central to both structure and architectural expression. Photo: © Tom Roe.
Exterior view of Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub, showcasing how low-carbon concrete helped shape a civic building defined by design quality, durability and lower embodied carbon. Photo: © Tom Roe.
Interior view of Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub featuring Geostone® in Atlas, with polished and honed concrete finishes adding texture, durability and visual warmth to the civic interior. Photo: © Tom Roe.
Winter garden on level 1 at Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and Community Hub, where Geostone® in Dark Matter helps shape a planted interior space that strengthens the building’s connection to the outdoors and distant landscapes. Photo: © Tom Roe.
Get in touch
To learn more about our aggregates and recycled materials, contact your nearest Holcim Australia team for advice on the right solution for your next project.
