New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 33/03C | Page 12

glass for a sense of transparency.
On the street/south side of the building, the
facade is predominantly patterned concrete with
slender fixed aluminium louvres merging visually
with the concrete’s striations. These long vertical
fins provide solar control over the interiors.
One unusual feature of the building is a double
skin corridor that runs around the perimeter, with
an 80cm gap for circulation and maintenance.
“Another interesting aspect of the Law building’s
interior is the ceremonial staircase. This represents
a student’s odyssey from the start of their university
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experience to receiving their qualification,” says
Eqo Leung. “This staircase is located in the tower
building linking the main entrance to the courtyard.”
“Podium level 1 is located 4m underground and
a central concrete courtyard was introduced to
give users of the lower levels a connection with the
external world. The feel for students and staff is that
they’re not underground. This is achieved by stra-
tegic design, including having natural light stream
through gaps in the courtyard walls.”
While the Law building is mainly administration,
two lecture spaces and a moot court are in the
Below:Face to face – the new
Law administration building
faces towards a new glass and
concrete Management faculty
entry building. The in-ground
podium section lies between
these buildings with its grass
roof providing a flat campus area
in previously under-utilised land
that had sloped heavily away.