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Vision Magazine
Is there a practice fingerprint/signature?
We try to produce timeless, elegant buildings both
beautiful and practical. We’re very grateful and
delighted by the architectural awards received for
this project, but we’re mindful that all our buildings
need to transcend the fashions of the present and
age well and be as relevant and graceful in the
future as they are now.
What did you absorb from the site into the work?
It’s fundamentally a two-storey building but
the theatre component really grows to three
or four stories. We had to integrate that bulk
with the campus that’s predominantly one
and two storey buildings. We’ve carefully
stepped the form of the building and
burrowed it into the hill to achieve this.
What was your starting point for glazing?
We have specified Viridian glazing for many
years because it has an excellent reputation,
has been around for a long time and the
Viridian team has provided good support. The
project glazing is designed to open up the
lobby to visitors and bring light into the main
circulation spaces. The green tint of the glazing
ties in very well with the landscaping in the
forecourt and the green trim used through the
campus. The transparency allows the building
to be connected to the outside landscaped
environment and visually expand the space.
Were there difficulties reconciling views and
sunlight with comfort and thermal control?
The lobby with its external covered colonnade
faces south onto the entry forecourt and parking
areas so sunlight was not a problem here. The
glazing to the west is shielded by large stone
blade walls while sunshades are provided on the
northern side. Some smaller sections of east and
west glazing are protected with aluminium louvres.
Thermal control is also achieved with very high
levels of insulation in walls and roof which also
acoustically insulate the building.
What are some of the other principal benefits
of glass?
In a school, transparency is very important in
providing spaces that people feel free and safe
to enter and use and which can be passively
supervised by teaching staff. As such, all the
teaching areas around the perimeter of the theatre
make extensive use of floor to ceiling glazing.
Were there any fears or opposition to such
extensive glazing?
No. We faced the double-height lobby glazing into
the forecourt area of the school to the south and the
building doesn’t overlook the neighbouring houses
on the other side of the street. On the west side that
does face the houses, large stone blade walls block
any overlooking - and light spill at night - and serve
to scale down the apparent size of the building.
As this is a building that is often used at night and
whose lobby and entry areas are lit up, the location
and orientation of the entry was a very important
consideration in the design of the building and its
respectful interaction with the neighbours.
It’s quite a cinematic use of the material.
The external public presentation to the north is quite
private and turns its attention away from the busy
road and neighbourhood. The south elevation opens
right up to the campus, parking areas and forecourts
allowing visitors and passers-by to be aware of
events or functions and to welcome them.
What do you take from this project to the next?
Excellence in any field requires a lot of enthusiasm,
energy and perseverance. It requires a team of
positive people from different walks of life who
have a common desire to do something great.