Australian Grains Genebank built for extreme temperatures

By Stephen Crafti
Updated July 4 2015 - 2:18am, first published 12:15am
Australian Grains Genebank in Horsham designed by H20 Architects sits seamlessly in the landscape. Photo: Supplied
Australian Grains Genebank in Horsham designed by H20 Architects sits seamlessly in the landscape. Photo: Supplied
The building was designed specifically to withstand the extreme temperatures of its location, but also to take advantage of its views. Photo: Supplied
The building was designed specifically to withstand the extreme temperatures of its location, but also to take advantage of its views. Photo: Supplied

Located on the outskirts of Horsham, the Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) sits quietly among the wheat chaff. Surrounded by the grasslands of the Wimmera plains with distant views of the Arapiles mountain ranges, the area experiences extreme temperatures, with summer months reaching 40 degrees. So designing a facility for storing grains for plant research, requiring temperatures 20 degrees Celsius below freezing point, required a different approach than a traditional storage facility. "It was a dream site, with a combination of plains, wetlands and mountain views. But primarily we had to address the extreme temperatures and ensure the grains were protected all year round," says architect Mark O'Dwyer, co-director of H2O Architects.