Never Stop Learning

Every job presents a learning opportunity - none more so than this project. It has gone through many design iterations that focused on ways to achieve maximum value for money. The process forced us to examine each material, it’s properties and question it’s place in the overall project. This process has provided a new perspective on value engineering and in particular, highlighted the creativity and construction knowledge required to fully understand total cost on a building project.

Part new build, part renovation. Part education support, part office accommodation, refining the brief has been part of the journey to help the client address their needs.

We found ourselves questioning many things that impact our design process. ‘what is the difference between commercial and residential construction?’. When does it result in cost increases, why, and is that justified? Under what conditions can you use a cheaper material and have it not adversely impact the design or performance outcome? How does one material or assembly choice force you other decisions down the path?

These lessons are already paying off as we identify parts, approaches and assemblies that can be used on future projects to provide our Clients with considered spending of project budget.

A recent programmatic change from the Client will result in the design evolving again, however many parts will be retained in a different form. In some ways, re-designing this building several times is not ideal from a financial point of view, but the lessons learnt during the process will pay dividends as it adds to our practice body of knowledge and experience. It’s projects like these that wish we had the inherent knowledge of a builder and all their trades to draw upon. Alas, it is impossible to know everything in the construction industry, so it’s about asking the right questions to the right people at the right time, and knowing that you can always learn more.

Design in an Industrial Typology

Design takes it form in many ways depending on the needs of the project. Sometimes it is all about the major planning arrangement of space and function, sometimes a project requires careful consideration of form/material and how they meet; then sometimes you have a project where the typology or budget limit the means to input expression that goes beyond the easiest/cheapest solution.

Recent projects have led us to explore design consideration in all areas of the project, regardless of scale, material, function and budget. An example of this was the recent sports hall in Normanton. Functionally, the space required a robust steel portal frame - a building typology that that has been done thousands of times before in sheds across the country. How can we add ‘design’ to an already proven industrial model?

The answer was to look at the steel detailing, and establish hierarchy. There are many architects who choose to highlight structural steel with colour, which we did in this case - but limited it to just the portal frames giving them visual significance over the other steel. The next move was to shift the plane of the purlin louvers to outside the line of the portal frame. This reinforced the importance of the portal, and creates the impression of a continuous external facade where one does not exist.

The Gideon Haigh Stand

Conwell Architects was approached by South Yarra Cricket Club to investigate opportunities to design a second sports stand to the Como Park facility. Como park has two ovals side by side and while one oval is serviced by a symmetrical brick clubhouse, the remaining oval means players and spectators are without protection from the elements. This second stand facilitates the seating and viewing of sports and events on the oval sufficient for two teams + spectators. The design looks to present a contemporary form that does not try to emulate the existing art-deco notes of the main clubhouse, but make reference to it via material and symmetry.

The stand has been unofficially coined ‘The Gideon Haigh Stand’, in reference to the South Yarra CC stalwart and journalist. www.gideonhaigh.com

The local municipal, The City of Stonnington, is currently reviewing the park’s masterplan. We hope the stand will feature in the planning of the park in order to service the people that enjoy it’s qualities every weekend.

Sylvan Street Roof Framing

A recent patch of clear winter days has allowed roof framing to go up on the Sylvan Street project. The tight sloping street with powerlines was professionally managed by the crane operator to successfully lift trusses into place.