VISION 37 — THE BLOCK 2016
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THE BLOCK:
A SPONSOR’S VIEWPOINT
Lachlan Austin
General Manger Marketing, Viridian
The Block is a unique platform for speaking to the real end-market about
our product offering to consumers, new home-builders, renovators and
home buyers. Ultimately the Block celebrates the power individuals
have in taking an existing space and making it a better space. We might
have some reservations about how much is actually represented as
the contestants’ work versus the designers and trades, but it’s a very
egalitarian idea and one we support at Viridian. We believe in “people
spaces made great with glass” and behind this is the idea that the
homeowner should take more control of the opportunities glass
uniquely presents.
In essence The Block has provided us with a platform to a broad consumer
(and trade) audience for us to demonstrate that “glass ain’t glass” — glass
can make your design better (for you and future buyers) but you have to
choose the right type of glass to make it so.
LightBridgeTM
Great design emerges from clear constraints. This Block’s design and
location limited access to natural light and aspect throughout the rooms
of the re-purposed factory. Melbourne has a climate, and is at a latitude,
where people place high value on daylight, so of course abundant
access to natural light was a core design principle; yet the available
window area was locked down in many areas by retaining the original
façade. We needed to work within the constraints of the site, and
select glass accordingly.
These aspects of occupant “comfort”
are often overlooked in conventional
construction choices, but can be
so easily incorporated by upgrading
the basic glazing package.
For the whole façade glazing package we proposed our lead product in
the residential range – LightBridgeTM – which is all about maximising the
available light while minimising heat flows through the windows (allowing
those windows to be as big as possible without adversely impacting
the comfort level inside). In fact, LightBridgeTM offered four times better
performance than the original glazing — this obviously has an enormous
impact on how each apartment feels to occupy. Recognising the density
of the urban environment surrounding the block site, we elected to use
the Sanctuary II version LightBridgeTM – for added noise control and
security. These aspects of occupant “comfort” are often overlooked in
conventional construction choices, but can be so easily incorporated by