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Vision Magazine
How did the constraints influence the result?
You have to turn constraints into opportunities.
We had to to protect the trees on site and work
that into the solution. In terms of design it has
to do several things. For instance, the deck on
the north side is an access way but it’s also an
emergency egress and offers views as well.
What else?
In the main dining room we eliminated a ceiling
and that produced a loftiness and void space and
it’s one less thing you have to do yet there is an
appreciable sense of volume as a direct result of
that budget. You do pay a penalty for building on
sloping sites and building around trees.
And yet your materials have a lovely,
uncompromised feel.
It might have been a lean budget but key
elements such as the glazing and deck are a
beautiful quality and we really didn’t want to
compromise on those.
What emphasis did you place on the glazing
when the budget pressures were telling you to
rein in every aspect of the project?
Sunlight and views are crucial to the basic amenity
and are always important. If it’s an eating/meeting
place and you want students and staff to utilize
that and work and socialize there, it can’t appear
to be something that is heavily discounted. It has
to have good amenity. It’s elevated with fabulous
views into bushland and back towards Bendigo, so
it’s about celebrating that setting in a way the old
campus buildings don’t.
Above
Western end of recreation/dining hall
reveals treetop vista.
High Distinction
Right
A lightweight attitude and vernacular
simplicity produce intrinsic, rather than
applied, Green credentials. Viridian
ThermoTechTM double-glazed units and
veiled canopy along main north elevation.