Timber Design Awards 2012
< previous entry | list of entries | next entry >
Category: 2. Commercial Architectural Excellence
For the innovative use of timber resulting in a distinctive visual impact on a commercial, industrial, or public building environment.
- WIT
Darryl Church Architecture Ltd
Waiariki Institute of Technology Waipa Campus is the primary industry site for sawmilling, forestry and horticulture. It was imperative that this building be a showcase for timber innovation, structurally and architecturally. Existing Saw-tooth buildings and stacked timber packs are referenced and give local context to the design form.
We liked the ideological milling process, where a saw-blade slices and divides, and used this to inform our design. A circulation route slices and divides the workshop and teaching spaces in plan, and in section/elevation, the pointed roofline is the blade separating the forms. External claddings are linked to the two types of stacked pallets on site, the routered plywood panels (whole wood end grain) and slatted Verda battens (drying). The screens were extended on the north to provide maintenance access, sun-shading and concealment to services and plant.
To achieve the ability for air movement and natural light, we ran slatted boards down each side of the upper circulation route. Internal louvres allow natural cross ventilation. The four teaching spaces are divided by acoustic operable walls, which allows flexibility for class sizes.
The structure of laminated LVL post and beam, Potius floor structure with concrete topping, LVL portals with STIC quick connect (world first). Timber is used extensively. We worked with local company Verda to custom design the prefinished battens and these were milled by Waiariki students on site.
95-98% of the building is locally sourced FSC Radiata timber and remainder of materials selected based on recycled or recyclable content.
Sponsors
Category Sponsors
