Pretect was recently approached with the educational brief to design a school arts facility.
The teaching staff’s wish-list included:
- Maximum floor space allowing for flexible usage including options for multimodal teaching and learning
- Natural light and ventilation
- Sufficient external space to serve as transition points for students moving from outside to internal learning spaces.
- A building that was unique in appearance yet complimented the existing school architecture
Other requirements and constraints included:
- The new building was to be located in a small irregular shaped site positioned between two existing buildings
- The overall sloping school site has limited access for construction purposes
- Enrolment growth and timetabling plans mean the facility has to be operable from day one of the following year
- The ever present budget and the need for the school to receive value for their money and certainty around costings
The innovative design was developed to meet the specific functionality requirements and budgetary restrictions.
Pretect’s design proposal was for a vertical Arts facility accommodating visual and performing arts teaching spaces over three optimum-sized floor levels; making the most use of the constrained site.
The building was to be prefabricated as modules which would be lifted onto the site by a crane positioned on an adjacent, lower-level car park.
However, the really clever design response was to rotate each of the upper floors, creating large external assembly and transition areas outside each learning area. The angle by which the two upper floors are to be rotated, combined with the size and position of the windows, gives optimal natural lighting while protecting from glare and heat.
The building’s striking appearance incorporates design features from the surrounding buildings, gives a “funky” feel to the arts precinct and meets the intended educational functions.
For more information on how Pretect can help deliver you next project on time and on budget, please contact us today!