36
VISION 33—OFF THE GRID
Can you tell me how glass became such an important
coat-of-arms here?
We are committed to the fact that design can stimulate
healthy and active habits in the workplace. Glass provides
the ability to create a highly permeable building envelope
which allows people to connect with and be aware of their
environment. This is recognised as a major contributor to
one’s health and well-being.
Were there concerns about cleaning and maintenance?
We were concerned with the expense of cleaning the glass,
but that hasn't really shown itself to be an issue. David was
obviously keen to use expanses of glass and it's just
beautiful. It's a really tremendous combination of the
exposed aggregate, polished concrete and the glass,
which is completely different in nature, but have a similar
characteristic in their uniform polish.
Any other value in building this way?
Fewer materials can be incredibly effective. So much better
than a wide variety of surfaces and finishes. There's
something very honest and revealing about glass and
concrete. David was also keen on an environmental agenda,
so the whole building can eventually be recycled. The
structural steel framework, concrete and glass can be
recycled at the end of their life cycle.
Is there anything that you hope to take away from this
project or that will inform future work?
Everything we do is set to context and clients. We don't
have an out of the box, cookie-cutter solution. Every project
is different. This project was a really rewarding experience.
Every project is completely different no doubt.
PROJECT
Ballarat Construction
Management Headquarters,
Victoria
ARCHITECT
Crosier Scott Architects,
Melbourne
BUILDER
BCM
INTERIOR FIT-OUT
BCM
WINDOW INSTALLER/GLAZIER
The Edge Glass
GLASS SUPPLIER AND SPECIALIST SUPPORT
Viridian
PRINCIPAL GLAZING
Viridian SuperGrey™
Toughened, custom cut and fitted
SIZE
986 sq.
BUDGET
$1.43 million (ex. fit-out)
AWARDS
Winner Architizer 2016
for Architecture +Facade