The Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade’s site office has been brightened up by a stunning mural by Chisholm Institute graphic design student Felicity Weston that explores the type of culture the construction industry is aspiring to.
We partnered with our construction partner McConnell Dowell and Chisholm Institute on a competition that was integrated into the TAFE’s graphic design curriculum. As part of the competition, students were tasked with designing murals illustrating what the construction industry’s culture should look like.
The competition was inspired by the Culture in Construction initiative, which has been established by the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce to develop a new Culture Standard for the construction industry.
The Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade is one of 2 Big Build projects chosen to run pilot Culture in Construction programs – the other is the Brunt Road Level Crossing Removal Project in Beaconsfield – with a focus on addressing traditional industry challenges such as long working hours, lack of diversity and worker wellbeing.
The mural competition was won by Ms Weston for her artwork that portrays a construction industry with a diverse and inclusive workforce where workers enjoy work-life balance and time for family.
Ms Weston recently visited the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade’s site office for the first time to see her mural proudly hanging on display.
Fellow Chisholm graphic design students Jeremy Rukunayake and Rebekah Ure were awarded second and third place respectively in the mural competition.
The upgrade’s partnership with Chisholm has produced another impressive artwork, with visual arts students Olivia Calleja and Jenny Kouch accepting a brief last year to design a mural of the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road project alignment that depicted key upcoming works.
This mural is now also on display in the upgrade’s site office, while Ms Calleja and Ms Kouch gained invaluable experience in the process having been required to submit a quotation, purchase materials, submit concepts for approval, work to specifications and finally submit an invoice.
The Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade’s Culture in Construction pilot program will run for the duration of the project, which began in early 2022 and is expected to be complete in 2025.
*Top image: The mural artist Felicity Weston is pictured with managers from Major Road Projects Victoria and McConnell Dowell.
