18
Vision Magazine
There were some anomalies with safety regulations
concerning the spa and sliding walls to the lake.
The sliding glass panels were okay because they
were lockable. They’re essentially sliding glass walls.
A balustrade was deemed unnecessary because the
entire space could be locked so a child couldn’t
actually enter into the space from the outside.
When it came to the spa covers – each weighing
20 kgs. – these needed to be lockable to stop
a child from falling in. It was a little bit bizarre
when the whole dam has no fence either.
How are the pavilion’s thermal qualities?
It’s a very pleasant space to be in – especially in
the winter time. Having the orientation to the north,
the concrete roof slab warms up and contributes
to a relatively constant internal temperature. With
the low winter sun streaming straight in you have
a beautiful temperature. In summer all you need
to do is slide the glass panels and you have the
northeast prevailing breezes coming straight off the
water and through the pavilion. Cross-ventilation just
draws cool air through. It’s beautiful. If it’s hot, you
open up those panels and it cools down instantly.
Was there a particular appeal about Viridian glass?
Yes, VTough toughened safety glass works
beautifully here. At the time, bush-fire regulations
demanded we achieve a level 2 to 3 construction
rating. It’s an incredibly clear product. It’s the
clearest glass we could find. Its high performing
visible light transmittance was the main reason we
went with Viridian. It’s bright and gives us fantastic
reflections. There’s no color and has a terrific
transparency.
In Praise of Place