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further when we started to test the external space in
terms of airflow heat build-up and loss.
What role does passive ventilation system play?
One of my pet concerns, apart from acoustics, is
a building’s comfort level. School buildings are
no different from commercial buildings, or housing.
Thermal comfort is as important as the need for
fresh air. It’s often said, if it gets too warm, it only
happens ten days of the year. Well, that could be five
per cent of a student’s year. In the work environment,
it’s not good enough and I don’t believe it’s good
enough in a school environment. Thermal comfort is
one of the most important attributes of the space,
and we wanted to optimize fresh air quality and if
that’s mechanical and controlled, then that’s
appropriate. We have the ability to supplement the
mechanical with natural ventilation and to purge the
building as necessary. It’s more than just drawing air
from outside. We need to ensure that the air is of a
certain quality and you do that by filtration, which is
often connected to a mechanical system.
A project highlight?
Walking through the site one day and seeing
students engage so well with one another, as if this
building had always been there. In that sense, for
them, it was almost as if it had to be. Spatially there
are areas I especially enjoy. The gallery in the main
public entry is wonderful. It’s a meeting space, an
internal strip, a gallery space and function centre.
The atrium holds together the whole building. It’s
about creating beautiful spaces that inspire learning.
PROJECT
GLAZING INSTALLER
The Mandeville Centre, Loreto
College, Toorak, Melbourne
Century Glass
CLIENT
Glassworks
ARCHITECT
Viridian
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Viridian double-glazed
SuperClear™ and VLam™ Hush
Loreto College
Architectus Melbourne
Oculus
WINDOW INSTALLER/GLAZIER
Seelite Windows and Doors
POST-PROCESSING
GLASS SUPPLIER AND SPECIALIST SUPPORT
PRINCIPAL GLAZING