STEEL

steel innovation
september 2014
architectural

with bluescope
118

Drew Heath Architect

Outpost 742713 9
Maddison Architects
Cloud Canopy
IN Profile:
David Adjaye
Editorial Editorial ISSUE 118
Welcome to Steel Profile 118. Advisory Contents
We are, as always, proud to bring you a
profile of the country’s most remarkable
panel
steel buildings and glimpses into the
Steel Profile has established an Editorial
inspired minds responsible for them.
Advisory Panel to ensure that only projects
BlueScope has launched a new website of the highest calibre are selected for
that features additional content to that
publication. The panellists are:
found here in print. For the past few issues
we have alerted readers about the presence
of videos in which architects and other

4 12 18 22
contributors further discuss their projects.
In this issue, new icons on the pages indicate
extra design resources for BlueScope’s
customer profiles. These can be found at
steel.com.au/steelprofile Architect Drew Heath’s mountain The lively cladding of Phillips With projects firmly rooted Maddison Architects has
One project bearing such icons adorns our bike-inspired bush retreat Smith Conwell Architects’ in place through analysis of leveraged 3D software to
cover. Drew Heath’s design for a modest bush combines the brutal posturing performing arts venue alludes geography, architect David create a marvellously ethereal,
retreat tempers the brutality of steel shipping of prosaic shipping containers to the theatrics of its interior Adjaye has become obsessed self-supporting steel canopy in
containers with a graceful roof canopy. with the refined elegance of a with the materiality and Melbourne’s Federation Square
Adam Haddow
soaring lightweight steel roof performative nature of metals
We were also lucky enough to catch up Adam is a director of SJB Architects NSW.
with British ‘starchitect’ David Adjaye at the He was awarded the 40th Anniversary
Australian Institute of Architect’s National Churchill Fellowship in 2006 to study
alternatives to conventional models of
Conference in Perth and discussed his
urban design. SJB Architects recently
obsession with metal’s elemental qualities. won two Australian Institute of Architects
NSW Awards for Multiple Housing.
We trust you will find both the print and
online mediums enjoyable and useful. More than anything, he loves to design buildings
Please feel free to share your thoughts
via info@steelprofile.com.au

Kristin Camery

30 36 42
BlueScope editor

Tzannes Associates has wielded DesignInc’s industrial vernacular Townsend + Associates

a steel mega structure with surety for its Regional Community Health Architects sought an economical
and flair to redefine an existing Hub in Geelong is expressed in and tough material to finish the
Frank Stanisic coastal retreat steel knitted to glass and sends walls of a Canberra toilet block
a bold, spacious statement and found it in a material more
Stanisic Associates founder Frank Stanisic is a
Sydney-based architect and urbanist. commonly used for fencing

His work is fuelled by an evolving interest in the

diagram and frame as a basis for architectural
invention, and the aesthetics of permeability. Principal Corporate Partner
Frank’s projects have won numerous awards including
Australian Institute of Architects’ Special Jury,
Wilkinson, Aaron Bolot and Frederick Romberg

Number 118, september 2014

BLUESCOPE EDITOR Kristin Camery MANAGING EDITOR Rob Gillam Associate EDITOR Rachael Bernstone
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rachael Bernstone, Peter Hyatt, John de Manincor, Micky Pinkerton, Alex Taylor
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Paul Bradshaw, Scott Burrows, Peter Hyatt, Sarah Louise, Trevor Mein
Art Director Natasha Krncevic Correspondence Steel Profile, PO Box 961, Crows Nest, NSW 1585, AUSTRALIA
Email rob.gillam@steelprofile.com.au; rachael.bernstone@steelprofile.com.au
SUBSCRIPTIONS For all subscription enquiries please contact us via steeldirect@bluescopesteel.com
BlueScope recommends the use of COLORBOND® steel or ZINCALUME® steel for the majority of external cladding applications.
For technical advice on the right product to use, contact your BlueScope representative. BlueScope recommends routine preventative
maintenance for eaves and other “unwashed areas” of structures which may not be regularly cleaned by rainfall. For further information
please contact your nearest BlueScope office or consult steel.com.au
Sam Bresnehan
Sam Bresnehan is a graduate architect with BlueScope, COLORBOND®, LYSAGHT®, CUSTOM ORB®, XLERPLATE®, KLIP-LOK®, TRIMDEK® and ® colour names are registered trademarks and
Melbourne-based architectural and urban ™ colour names are trademarks of BlueScope Steel Limited. Longspan®, Speed Deck Ultra®, FarLap® roof lap joint system, Stramit® Corrugated
design practice, McGauran Giannini Soon and Stramit® Acoustic Panel System are registered trademarks of Stramit Corporation Pty Ltd
Cover project
Architects (MGS). Outpost 742713 9 Copyright © BlueScope Steel Limited ABN 16 000 011 058. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or distributed without
Graduating from the University of Tasmania Photographer consent. BlueScope Steel Limited, to the extent permissible at law, is not liable to any person for loss or damage arising from reliance upon
with a Master of Architecture (First Class information contained in this publication. The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those
Brett Boardman
Honours) in 2010, Sam was awarded the 2011 of BlueScope Steel Limited
BlueScope Steel Glenn Murcutt Student Prize
Trevor Mein

sp118 architectural steel innovation 3

pB

Architect
Drew Heath Architect
Project Like the mountain bikes that inspired it, this tiny retreat in the bush
Outpost 742713 9
combines aggression and elegance in its all-steel construction.
Location
Central Coast Hinterland, New South Wales Words Rachael Bernstone Photography Brett Boardman, Paul Bradshaw

4 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 5

pB

O
n a still autumn day, with big clouds rolling
eastwards in the massive blue sky, it’s hard
to imagine anything spoiling the serenity of
this setting. Birdsong – whip birds, bellbirds and the
occasional interjection from a laughing kookaburra
– is the only sound to break the silence.

So it seems somewhat incongruous to come across

a tiny steel retreat made mostly from shipping
containers perched above a sandstone outcrop,
as if about to leap into the valley below. It’s a building
that shares many traits with mountain biking, the
activity that brought its owners to this area of
rugged bushland in the first place.

“Because it’s a mountain bike camp, I saw the

building as a machine, as a bicycle itself,” says
architect Drew Heath. “The bike has a steel frame
and so does the building. There are various gizmos
attached to the bike, same with this building,
Front elevation
the bike has a seat, and this building provides
somewhere to sit as well.”

When it was first mooted, the concept for this base

camp was not nearly so refined and daring, according Heath saw an opportunity to take the ‘building blocks’
to builder Daniel Girling-Butcher. “The client and create something remarkable. He contacted
approached me in March 2013 and said he’d bought the clients to outline his scheme. “The clients were
this property and was interested in putting some people I’d already done a house for, and so when
shipping containers – which he’d chosen for budget Daniel mentioned they had a block of land and were
reasons – on the site,” he explains. “I mentioned this thinking about building a mountain bike base camp
to Drew, boasting somewhat in the pub about this out of containers, I thought it sounded interesting,”
job that had fallen into my lap, and Drew showed he says. “That same day, I did a sketch and emailed
some interest. He gave the project quite a lift.” it to the clients, trying to invite myself into the job.
They liked it, so I managed to muscle in on the project.

“Originally it was just going to be containers on

“I had a very simple the ground with a roof over the top – with much
less budget than what was eventually spent –

scheme in the back but Drew enhanced it,” Girling-Butcher adds.

“And the clients were ultimately quite happy

of my mind: an image that I’d had that conversation with him.”

Driving onto the property via dirt road, the site

of a boat ramp with slopes gently down hill, culminating in a teardrop-
shaped turning circle, below which the ground
two singular tracks drops away steeply. Upwards of the track, a
couple of shipping containers used to store bikes
that head off into and less often-used gear are plonked onto the
ground. These continue to serve as a reminder
landscape, with a that without Heath’s intervention the new building
would probably have been located close by them
floating roof above” – and would look much the same. æ

The design of the completed

building barely deviated from
Heath’s original concept, as

pB
illustrated in his sketchbook (right)

6 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 7

BB

BB

BB
Instead, he suggested that a sandstone outcrop near project, he says. “Once I’d seen the containers “Luckily Daniel and Brett are people I know
the cliff top was the best place to build. “To me it just purely as steel boxes, I was determined to make well and they know my work, so we didn’t have
said ‘footing’: we could anchor a building onto it and every external element steel.” to do a lot of detailing or drawing,” Heath says.
do something that was adventurous, structurally,” “A lot of it was spoken word, and a few sketches
The interiors are cosy and inviting, with insulation,
Heath says. “The idea of constructing a flat plane to and images to convey the information. Everyone
plumbing and electrical services installed behind
sit the containers on – to get them off the ground and had a bit of free rein to do what they wanted,
timber lining. “The outside of the containers is all
provide some deck space – arose because the site or what they thought was right.
steel and all grey, so we wanted to make them
was so steep: you needed a platform floating above
warm and soft inside,” Heath says. “We lined “It’s nice to be flexible from concept to finish,
the landscape for respite from the landscape.”
them with a warm-coloured plywood to create and to not be so dogmatic about detailing every
He carefully arranged three containers in one line to timber cocoons for people to live in.” single part,” he adds. “It makes things easy.”
make the outlook over the gully and bush the hero. Each of the containers was reconfigured with new
“The site has an orientation that looks out to a great The containers were largely fitted out in a
openings and doors to suit their position in the project.
view, which also has a northerly aspect, so that warehouse in Botany in Sydney while the
The front unit – which contains the kitchen – has the
seemed the place to start,” he says. “I had a very steelwork was prefabricated at Laker’s factory
largest openings, including a cantilevered deck on
simple scheme in the back of my mind: an image on the Central Coast. “We tried to design it so
hydraulic hinges that closes to seal the container
of a boat ramp with two singular tracks that head that materials could come to site and go straight
from the elements. It has sliding doors, opposite,
off into landscape, with a floating roof above. into the project: the less amount of work required
that connect to a dining space. The sides of these
on site, the better,” Girling-Butcher says. “That was
“To satisfy the brief for more space, I just kept can be enclosed by steel shutters on rollers.
partly a budget decision – to reduce off-cuts – but
adding containers behind the first one, to Heath said the ability to close down the building also because working in the workshop was far more
accommodate bedrooms, bathrooms and against the elements was important, given its vast beneficial: we were undercover, closer to suppliers,
storage, and then inserted spaces in between bush surrounds. “The fire risk at the location led and people didn’t get lost trying to find the site.”
for outdoor rooms. us straight to steel. Being able to lock down the
structure entirely with steel was a big advantage The elements were then trucked to site and
“The idea was to relate the containers to their
in terms of bushfire resistance.” assembled over a 10-day period leading up to
own individual outdoor space, and to claim that
Christmas in December 2013, with final touches
extra space between them,” Heath says. “It also The central container houses three bedrooms, completed over several weeks in January 2014.
facilitates ventilation – the containers are essentially with pivoting doors at both ends and a sliding The structural steel supports – six 200 UC 46 sections
closed steel boxes that need ventilation on all door in the middle, while the rear container – were drilled into the sandstone and secured with
sides – so from a thermal perspective, it was boasts two bathrooms and a storage space. concrete footings. Beams were installed, then the
good to have them freestanding.”
Having outlined his concept to Girling-Butcher shipping containers were craned on to the southern
In fact the inherent qualities of the containers and steel fabricator Brett Laker, the building end of the platform and winched outwards to their

BB
dictated the selection of materials for the whole was constructed in an unusually fluid manner. final positions. Steel walkways were installed as æ

The middle container is divided into three sleeping spaces:

a double with bush views (far left), a double with mezzanine
bed (left and above), and the bunk room (top left)
Sliding doors, pivot doors and BOTTOM LEFT: The kitchen cabinets are made of the same

BB
hydraulic doors mean the warm coloured ply that was used to line the containers
containers can be configured
in myriad ways depending on
the season or time of day

BB
side elevation

“Once I’d seen the containers purely as steel boxes, I was determined to
make every external element steel”

8 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 9

 “The structure is simple refined elegance to its execution that sits comfortably
alongside the building’s brutal posturing. “I see this

and although this is a scheme as an aggressive construction – our early

name for it was ‘Desert Storm’, because, in a way,

low-budget building, it’s like an outpost of humanity,” Heath says. “The big
cantilevers of the deck and the roof give the building

there is a sense of a sense of aggression, like it is perching on the edge

of the cliff, ready to leap off,” he continues. “But

elegance in its simplicity” the spans and the overhangs are lightweight. The
structure is simple and although this is a low-budget
building, there is a sense of elegance in its simplicity.”

For his part, Girling-Butcher is glad he had that

fortuitous conversation with his mate in the pub
floor plan
the outer decks on the long sides. The roof frame – about an unusual project that he’d just taken on.

PB
200 UC 46s and RHS acting as purlins – was then “In its entirety, this job was fantastic because the
topped with roofing made from COLORBOND® client gave us a lot of space,” he says. “He was
steel in LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK® 700 profile, in the involved in the layout and was of course interested

BB
colour Ironstone®. in what we were doing, but he gave Drew and
Architect Drew Heath on the cantilevered
everyone else a lot of freedom to work as they liked.”
front deck (this image), and preparing The KLIP-LOK® profile roof – chosen for its wide
lunch with builder Daniel Girling-Butcher spans and ability to be installed at low pitch – And because the team – architect, builder and
in the dining space (right) provides direct protection from the sun and rain, steel fabricator – had worked together on previous
and also allows cross-flow breezes to draw hot projects, they shared an unspoken understanding
air out of the containers because it is raised and sense of familiarity in relation to construction
slightly above a series of ventilation points in methods, detailing and expectations around build
the top of each box. quality, which enhanced that sense of freedom.

The building came together so easily that the For Heath, the process of working on a small building
second time Heath visited the site, Outpost 742713 9 in a bush setting that didn’t require the same level of

BB
as it’s now called – after the serial number on documentation as regular projects was extremely
one of the containers – was practically complete. satisfying, and the results are no less spectacular than
It may be modest in size – just 40m2 internally – his earlier works. “I love the surprise and drama of above: The central container gave the project its name
but it sleeps six and has two bathrooms. It is fully dropping down the front deck and going out on to that Below lEFT: A cantilevered deck hydraulically closes
self-sufficient: collecting and storing rainwater in handrail-free perch overlooking the valley,” he says. to seal the kitchen container
three tanks, generating and storing sufficient solar
Unorthodox it may be, yet the building is an
power to run a small fridge, LED lights and to
elegant metaphor for mountain biking. Sitting on
charge devices, and treating waste water in a
the cantilevered deck taking in the broad sweep of
septic system located slightly down the slope.
the valley is akin to taking up position on mountain
While the concept may be simple – steel platform, bike saddle, at the top of a hill, ready to hurtle down
steel shipping containers, steel roof – there is a into the unknown. sp

BB
Panel says
This is one of the most innovative and original
projects we have selected to publish. Firstly, the
siting on the sandstone outcrop creates a striking View a video of the architect and
expression. We also appreciate the contrast of the builder discussing this project at
steel.com.au/steelprofile
harshness and colouration of the Australian bush
– as echoed in the all-steel exterior – with the
warmth of the plywood-lined interiors. The project 1 2
might be perceived as being straightforward and
quite brutal, but there is a fineness in its detailing,
too. The roof made from COLORBOND® steel in
LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK® 700 profile, in the colour LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK® 700 HI-STRENGTH®
Ironstone®, is beautiful and highly functional,
CAD files, textures, technical drawings and
giving the impression this project will last for
product brochures are available at
decades without ageing at all. By far the best
steel.com.au/steelprofile
quality of the building is the way it encourages
occupants to engage with their surroundings
– by going outside to access the bathrooms, Project Outpost 742713 9 Architect Drew Heath Architect Builder Daniel Girling-Butcher Steel Fabricator BML Steel Plumbing PZ Plumbing Electrician Rapid Sparks
for example – which strikes a perfect balance Principal steel components Roofing made from COLORBOND® steel in LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK® 700 profile, in the colour Ironstone®. Containers: three 20-foot shipping containers.
between being immersed in, and being removed Structural steel: Six 200 UC46 stub columns anchored direct to sandstone (with cross bracing in same). Roof frame: Two 200 UC46 beams spanning length of structure with RHS beams
from, the natural world. acting as purlins. Steel decking walkways Project Timeframe Three months to prefabricate and install AWARDS 2014 Australian Institute of Architects Awards NSW Chapter
– Sustainable Architecture Building Size Containers: 44m2, Containers and decks: 156m2. Total roof area: 180m2 Total Project Cost $260,000 including supply of containers

10 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 11

BB
 A The playful elongated-harlequin patterns of this new performing arts venue create a lively

SOUND geometric camouflage effect and allude to the theatrics of its interior.
Words John de Manincor Photography Scott Burrows

Architect
Phillips Smith Conwell Architects
Project
St Peters Lutheran College
Performing Arts Centre
Location
Indooroopilly, Queensland

12 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 13

 E
ducating children is not an easy task. famous Viennese-born, Brisbane-based architect Karl buzzing with students. First stop on our tour was
Teachers, administrators, carers and parents Langer. Completed in 1968, the chapel sits at the apex the main auditorium where a solo flautist was playing
invest enormous amounts of energy to ensure of the campus, metaphorically and topographically. “un-plugged”. In any performance venue, acoustics
future generations are given every opportunity to are paramount, and for this building PSC’s project
In 1995 the College community once again embarked
learn and excel. Beyond the ‘sweat equity’ of family director Philip Ward says the architects undertook:
on an ambitious fund-raising program, this time for
and faculty is the vast fiscal investment required to “A first principles analysis of the functional
a major facility for the teaching and performance of
fuel the pedagogical fire. requirements of the music and drama program…
music and drama. Brisbane architects Phillips Smith
to create a natural acoustic with minimal reliance
St Peters Lutheran College in the Brisbane suburb Conwell (PSC) won an invited design competition
on technology.
of Indooroopilly was established in 1945 and for a scheme that was somewhat different to what
has since grown at a steady rate. The College was built as the College’s flagship facility. Eventually “A lot of energy went into getting this space right;
understands that good things take time and that the project brief expanded to include a 1000-seat the acoustics and the experience of this space
investment in its infrastructure will yield dividends. performance venue, rehearsal and tutorial rooms, were really important to us,” adds Taylor. “There
Importantly, there is a great tradition of the College and associated support spaces. was not a lot (of money) left over for the outside.”
community investing in quality architecture. In 1966
The back-of-house is a crisply detailed ‘box’ with Indeed, the sheer quantum of accommodation
parents and friends raised $60,000 and the College
cladding made from COLORBOND® Metallic steel in and the complexities associated with acoustic
borrowed $70,000 to build a new chapel by the
Stramit Longspan® profile, in the colour Facade®. treatments put considerable pressure on the
Steep terraced embankments with luscious project budget. With the modest funds available,
planting designed by the College’s own landscape this fabulous asset for St Peters was made
team lead to an elevated court which is the true economically feasible through the architect’s
heart of the campus. thoughtful integration of steel building products.

From here the diagram of the new performing arts One of the project’s great successes is a new
facility is immediately clear; two cubic volumes covered amphitheatre carved into the hillside.
are separated by a two-storey glazed facade that Two crisp, white horizontal canopies define the
defines the entry and the primary circulation spaces. double-height ceiling space lined in perforated
During a tour of the venue with the College’s Stramit® Acoustic Panels made from COLORBOND®
director of music, Christine Taylor, the place was steel in the colour Surfmist®. æ

ABOVE: Two crisp white

horizontal canopies define the
double height entry space

Section Section

14 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 15

 The upper part of the expansive white planes rests on Phil Ward explains the contractors followed PSC’s The harlequin-patterned
an expressive gloss black structure comprising 530 documentation very closely. “We did a lot of three- facade of the auditorium
Panel says UBs elegantly connected to 220 CHS columns. The dimensional detailing of the junctions. The flashings disguises the scale of the
theatre and animates the
lower plane is suspended from above on slender 100 are fairly standard, it was the overall sequencing
This simple graphic facade – created entirely public domain
RHS hangers, a strategy that minimises the number that was important,” he says. “It went together like
with a restrained palette of COLORBOND® steel of columns in the active entry space. To minimise giant shingles.” The workmanship on the facade
colours – articulates what is essentially a big shed the bulk of the canopy, the primary structure is is excellent: in some parts, up to eight folded
in an elegant and dynamic way. We admire the expressed while sub-framing is concealed. COLORBOND® steel flashings come together
simplicity of the oversized entry canopy, where it is and align consistently.
The auditorium volume cladding is made from
clear that the project team has taken considerable
COLORBOND® steel in Stramit Longspan® profile, Business development manager Colin Gifford from
effort to reveal only the largest steel members
in a clever combination of colours including cladding company Haggarty Roofing says the wall
while concealing secondary structural elements. Monument® and the COLORBOND® Metallic cladding system was unusually intricate. “It was
This canopy provides an expansive yet intimate colours Axis® and Facade®. These form a challenging but very rewarding as the project
space – like a town square – for students and the playful, elongated harlequin pattern. progressed,” says Gifford. “From the first time we
wider school community, thanks to its lightness and
The result is a geometric camouflage effect that saw the drawings it was apparent that this project
permeability. We think this clever and generous would have people talking. The design criteria
animates what might otherwise have been a
building is a terrific project that achieves spatial lacklustre shed – demonstrating that modest really highlighted the flexibility of COLORBOND®
richness with modest means. funds can indeed produce exceptional results steel and how it can be used to create a unique
with a little creative thinking. and eye-catching appearance.”

BELOW: Crisply detailed canopies provide shade and

shelter to the amphitheatre

BOTTOM: Horizontal trusses brace the tall, slender

block walls and double as lighting gantries

Volume roofing is made from COLORBOND® steel in

Stramit Speed Deck Ultra® profile, in the colours Shale
While the patterning of
Grey™, Surfmist® and Monument®. Stramit’s FarLap®
the decorative facade
1 2

roof lap joint system was used for longer roof sheets.

Ward and the consultant team developed a clever has no pragmatic role,
hybrid structure capitalising on the versatility of
structural steel. Concrete block walls, some as tall as it adds interest and a
12 metres, are braced with both vertical and horizontal
steel trusses that reduce their vertical span. Horizontal unique identity
steel trusses form the floor of the access gantries
that wrap the perimeter of the interior. A series of
Stramit® CORRUGATED profile
four metre-deep pairs of Vierendeel trusses span
the main auditorium space. The trusses are used as
the lighting rigs, accessed from the perimeter gantries.
While the patterning of the decorative facade
Ward modestly states this strategy “is one of the
has no pragmatic role, it adds interest and a unique Stramit Longspan® profile
reasons it is a very economical building”. This
identity to an important facility on the campus.
integration of steel has eliminated the need for
any major columns in the auditorium. The vertical The new Performing Arts Centre is a fabulous asset
trusses also support pleated acoustic panelling. for St Peters Lutheran College, which will reap the
These sculptural elements appear playful and add return on its investment for years to come. The clever Stramit Speed Deck Ultra® profile
to the overall composition but they are also highly use of steel, both structurally and decoratively, is
practical. “There is not one element in the hall that integral to the project’s success. CAD files, textures, technical drawings and
product brochures are available at:
is not there for a functional purpose,” Ward adds.
A peek inside the auditorium before leaving reveals a steel.com.au/steelprofile
At St Peters, what appears internally to be decoration dozen or so flautists marching on stage in preparation
is highly functional; the folds of the ceilings and walls for an Anzac Day commemoration. Akin to the
along with the jauntily angled pipework are all vital harlequin pattern of the building, the troupe is a little
to the acoustic performance of the space. out of step yet delivers a most impressive effect. sp

floor plan
Project St Peters Lutheran College Performing Arts Centre Client St Peters Lutheran College Architect Phillips Smith Conwell Architects Project Team Project Director, Phil Ward;
Project Architect, Camilo Echeverry; Documentation, Camilo Echeverry and Luke Cox STRUCTURAL & CIVIL ENGINEER Opus (Structural Engineer), Bornhorst + Ward Consulting Engineers (Civil)
BUILDER DGW Group STEEL FABRICATOR Kyst Engineering SHOP DRAWING CONTRACTOR Timeline Drafting CLADDING CONTRACTOR Haggarty Roofing LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
Gamble McKinnon Green ACOUSTIC ENGINEER James Heddle PRINCIPAL STEEL COMPONENTS Roofing: made from COLORBOND® steel in Stramit Speed Deck Ultra® profile, in the colours
Shale Grey™, Surfmist® and Monument®. Stramit’s FarLap® roof lap joint system was used for longer roof sheets. Walling: made from COLORBOND® steel in Stramit Longspan® profile, in the colour
Monument® and the COLORBOND® Metallic colours Axis® and Facade®. Soffits: made from COLORBOND® steel in Stramit® Corrugated profile in the colour Surfmist® and made from COLORBOND®
steel in (perforated) Stramit® Acoustic Panel System profile, in the colour Surfmist®. Structural steel: 530 UBs, 220 CHS columns, 100 RHS hangers PROJECT TIMEFRAME 2.5 years (design to
completion) AWARDS 2014 Australian Institute of Architects Queensland Chapter Awards – Public Architecture – Commendation BUILDING SIZE 4995m2 TOTAL PROJECT COST $12.6 million

16 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 17

PROFILE PROFILES...
A
Curiosity about the world and its diverse people s a child, David Adjaye quickly learned
to appreciate, interrogate and seek out
and places lies at the heart of David Adjaye’s work,
difference. Born to Ghanaian parents
which appears on four continents and extends in Tanzania, he lived in 12 African countries –
from the domestic to the monumental. Steel Profile following the path of his diplomat father – until
the age of 14 when the family moved to London.
met him in Perth. Words Rachael Bernstone
He studied architecture at London South Bank
Photography Peter Bennetts (portrait) University and the Royal College of Art, and
continued his engagement with the African
continent after graduating, eventually visiting 53
major African cities over the course of a decade.

“I was visiting the continent almost every other

month between 2000 and 2011, so a sort of double-
world was happening,” he recalls. The images he
captured during those travels – of cities, buildings,
people and landscapes – form the basis of his
seven-volume book, Adjaye Africa Architecture,
which divides the continent into six geographic

Dean Kaufman
zones. These zones generate similar approaches
to architecture and building, irrespective of
political and cultural differences, Adjaye says.

His accomplishment in completing this mammoth

and unprecedented task demonstrates that Adjaye above: The glass and steel curtain wall of Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art sits in stark contrast with the
possesses an unusual ability to get to the nub of black weathering steel cladding of the also Adjaye-designed LN House next door (below)
a place through analysis of its geography. Unlike
other ‘starchitects’ – whose buildings often share
a similar aesthetic and palette of materials no
matter where they are in the world – Adjaye’s
projects are firmly rooted in the local.

“I’m fundamentally interested in the way that

specificity-to-geography and climate can create
meaning and reason in architecture,” Adjaye says.

After graduating, Adjaye worked for Chassay

Architects (1988-90), David Chipperfield Architects
and Eduardo Souto de Moura Architects (both 1991)
before partnering with William Russell to launch

David
Adjaye & Russell in 1994. He then established
his own firm – Adjaye Associates – in London in
2000. His practice began on a typical footing,
starting with small-scale residential alterations
and additions, and single-family houses.

One of these, for actor Ewan McGregor (2000) featured

Adjaye
steel columns and beams that enabled Adjaye to
create larger volumes to contrast with the smaller,
segregated rooms of the original Victorian terrace.

“Steel work was very important in the early parts of

my career when I was dealing with the existing city
and trying to remodel and create contemporary life,”
he says. “That was about using steel to reinforce
or create exoskeletons into masonry structures,
to create new spans and new possibilities for
contemporary life. Without steel, it would have been
impossible to do any of that work.”

Having undertaken several small public building

projects in London, including the Stephen Lawrence
Centre and two public libraries called Idea Stores,
the scope and reach of the practice started to shift
in 2004, when Adjaye won his first commission in the
USA. The new Denver Museum of Contemporary Art
is a modest 2320m2 building over three storeys that
hosts temporary exhibitions. It features naturally lit
galleries bounded by steel-framed, double-glazed

Dean Kaufman
curtain walls, which accentuate permeability and
transparency. They offer a stark contrast with the
house he also designed next door – for MCA board æ

18 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 19

 In Crescent Park, a series of weathering steel and With its brise soleil cladding – reworking the “As young architects trying to make the city, I think

Adjaye Associates
cast red concrete pieces create a walkway, a jetty, traditional cast iron screens of Washington DC – we believe that architecture is about trying to do
benches and walls – all of which invite habitation of and crown-like form, the museum pays homage stuff, but actually design gives us an opportunity to
the space. “It’s a way to give back to the city using to the Yoruba people of West Africa, who were show restraint. It’s about: ‘How much can you not
stuff that’s already there, to give people back their transported to America as the country’s first slaves. do?’. That’s the art of architecture.”
own collective memory and their own industrial
“This is not a museum in the traditional sense of an Speaking at the same conference in Perth, South
past,” Adjaye says, “but also to create fiction and
archive, or an experience of phenomena,” Adjaye African architect Jo Noero acknowledged the value
future, which I think is really important.”
says. “This is a museum that’s trying to deal with – of Adjaye’s travels through and curiosity about Africa.
Those are sentiments echoed in his biggest and for the first time – the way in which history removes “David’s work is wonderful and the research he has
most ambitious project to date: the National Museum certain narratives from its trajectory. It achieves done on the African city has been a shot in the arm
of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), that by placing another narrative into it. for African architects,” Noero says. “It took someone
currently under construction for the Smithsonian who is not living in Africa to come with very clear
Institute in Washington DC. Six years into an eight- “The lens is about understanding what the United eyes, and to write the books that you wrote, which
year build, the museum is the last “palace of culture” States is, so I became really excited by this project have fundamentally shifted the way we think about
within the city’s Pierre Charles L’Enfant masterplan when we won it,” he adds. “And the building needed African architecture. We are very grateful for that.”
dating from 1791. It sits alongside 23 other cultural to signify a different narrative right from the outside.”
In closing, Adjaye is asked whether he has a
institutions which Adjaye collectively calls “the Rather than elevating the museum on a monumental favourite place or project, or has found a building
great depository of the world’s civilisations”. plinth, like its Greco-Roman style neighbours, type or location more stimulating or thought-
Adjaye buried its bulk underground. “The plinth is provoking than others, and he laughs. “If I was to
submerged with a cube on top, to make an urban say I prefer somewhere, I would flaw my entire
room,” he says. “The steelwork is coming out of
“Steelwork was very the ground now for the cube, which will contain
argument,” he explains. “I’m a great lover of the
planet and all its diversity, so it’s continually about
the biggest exhibition space in Washington.
important in the early You’ll be able to dive into the whole of African
discovering new ways in which the planet has
evolved to its geography that is fascinating.
American history from 200 years in one room.”
parts of my career. Having worked all over the world, and on many
“It’s why I love travelling, why I love going to new
places,” he adds. “It’s not simply to just tour, but

member and donor Marc Falcone and his wife – references the railway trucks and container ships
That was about building types, Adjaye deliberately sets himself
apart from his peers who enjoy similar international
to really experience the kind of multiplicity of the
above: The National Museum of African way in which the planet has evolved, and people
which presents a windowless face to the street
and is clad in black weathering steel.
that serve the port of New Orleans, a city “absolutely
made by its river,” Adjaye says.
American History and Culture in Washington DC
– due for completion in 2016 – is Adjaye Associates’
using steel to create standing. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with
the term generic,” he says. “Sometimes buildings
have evolved on it, and how they use it. So no,
no favourites, just continually enjoying it.”
“I’ve become quite obsessed with the materiality The weathering steel structure cost no more to build
most important project to date
exoskeletons into are just about making stuff that just has to happen,
and that’s actually an amazing part of what we do.
The world of contemporary architecture is richer for
of metals, not just as skins but the performative than a typical industrial bridge, but its poetic shape BELOW: The weathering steel ‘rainbow’ of
nature of metals,” Adjaye says. “They have their and rustic materials give it a transformative quality. the Piety Bridge in New Orleans, completed
in February 2014, provides access to the
masonry structures. Sometimes there are moments when an element
of innovation is required, but these approaches
his incredible inquisitiveness and ability to translate
his new knowledge into buildings that – wherever they
own ecology, they oxidise and have their own “It’s a very simple form – it’s clipped together –
power. I love cast metals or metals that have but it creates this moment where, at the top, you
waterfront for the first time in 100 years
Without steel, it would are totally equal.
are in the world – blend geography and location with
cultural and historical meaning to create their own
properties that naturally oxidise and patina.” look to the city, then the water, and it releases a

Adjaye’s success in winning overseas projects was

view of the waterfront as you come down,” he adds.
Opposite Below: Winning the competition to
design the Moscow School of Management made have been impossible “We’ve become obsessed with the avant garde
as a signature of design,” he adds, “but it’s not
unique qualities. Through his intuitive understanding
and analysis of place, the global architect David
“Suddenly you are in this landscape that was once
to do any of that work”
Adjaye Associates a global architecture firm really about that. It’s about understanding exactly Adjaye creates buildings that provide local
cemented when his scheme for a new business
completely forbidden to residents.” what’s appropriate for each condition. resonances for the people who experience them. sp
school in Russia won a design competition.
Where other entrants opted for campus-style
accommodation, Adjaye proposed a single
150m-wide disc with ‘boxes’ and cantilevered

Ed Reeve
‘rods’ on top. Inspired by “the power of futurists,
including historical Russian constructivist imagery”,
he put the entire program of school, car park,
hotel, gym and conference centre under one
roof, to protect occupants from the six-month
long winters with their sub-zero temperatures
and deep snow cover.

“We won the Moscow School of Management

in 2006, and it was our first big international
competition,” Adjaye says. “It changed the office
from small- and medium-scale to doing large
projects around the world.”

Other global projects since then include the

Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo (2005), the Arario Gallery
in New York (2007) and post-Hurricane Katrina
housing in New Orleans (2007). In February 2014,
Adjaye’s Piety Street Bridge and Crescent Park
projects were unveiled in the same city.

Piety Street Bridge is a curved pedestrian structure

Adjaye Associates

made from weathering steel that re-connects the

neighbourhood to the Mississippi River, crossing
railway tracks which prohibited access to the water’s
edge for more than 100 years. The material selection

20 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 21

 u p
i n
t h e
a i r A steel and glass canopy at Melbourne’s iconic Federation Square pushes the
boundaries of engineering and construction to create an otherworldly shelter.
Words Alex Taylor Photography Trevor Mein

Architect
Maddison Architects
Project
Cloud Canopy
Location
Melbourne, Victoria

22 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 23

 H
aving undertaken several hospitality projects “Essentially we had to develop a system that could
at Melbourne’s Federation Square, Maddison allow the canopy to touch the ground plane as
Architects had an intimate knowledge of lightly as possible, without relying on any of the
the precinct’s landmark architecture. So when it surrounding buildings for support,” McLaren says.
was asked to tackle an underperforming section, “So we investigated different structural systems,
the team welcomed the challenge (albeit with and which forms would give us good cantilevering
some reservations). ability from column supports with big spans.

“The eastern corner wasn’t working so well: it was “That’s how we came across the hexagonal or
a jumble of loose umbrellas and pedestrian flows honeycomb lattice, which has a great inherent
were not smooth, so Federation Square management structural strength, strength-to-weight ratio and
came to us seeking improvements,” explains Kim rigidity in its form, and allows that flexibility of
McLaren, architect at Maddison. design,” he says.

The architects suggested three main additions in The architects then began discussions with
their response: a performance stage, a new urban structural engineers at Hyder Consulting to refine
LED screen, and the canopy, which was then the honeycomb shape for optimal solar performance.
selected as stage one of the revitalisation project. “In winter, you want to limit the amount of shade
cast by the structure, but in summer people want to
As well as providing shade for café patrons
retreat into the shade, particularly during heat waves
and directing pedestrians into the atrium beyond,
such as Melbourne experienced this year,” McLaren
McLaren wanted the new insertion to read as
says. “We looked at ways of filtering dappled light
a sculptural element. “We needed to design a
through the glass for winter and summer conditions,
standalone object that would be strong enough
and started playing with how to extrude the
– with sufficient bulk and critical mass – to not
honeycomb structure in a northerly direction,
disappear or get lost in that space,” he says. “We
in response to the sun’s lower angle in winter.” æ
took some early cues from Foster and Partners’
steel-framed glass roofed structure at the
Smithsonian Institution [in Washington DC],
which uses an elegant diamond-shaped glass
lattice to create an enclosed courtyard space.

“We also liked the crazy stuff by Belgian artist

A lot of people don’t
Arne Quinze, whose giant red sculptures of
tangled sticks are wild, bright and in your face,”
realise that there are
McLaren adds. “We found a middle ground
between that and Norman Foster’s approach
no big steel beams,
with the design we pitched for the canopy.”
it’s completely self-
There were several key constraints that guided
the design, including a short timeframe for on-site supporting using just
construction, difficulty accessing the site, and
weight limits that result from Federation Square’s BlueScope XLERPLATE®
concrete platform foundation, which straddles
railway tracks below. steel welded together

Above left: Public art installation The Sequence (2008) by Belgian artist Arne Quinze outside the Flemish Parliament in Brussels, Belgium
Perspective
ABOVE RIGHT: Smithsonian Institution by Foster + Partners in Washington DC, United States

24 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 25

 “The structural engineers weren’t delighted with
our proposal,” he recalls, “because once you
once you start squashing the structure over –
rather than using a perpendicular extrusion –
it becomes much less efficient.”

The project progressed through many computer

programs, firstly at Maddison where the original
concept was created in SketchUp. Design was
undertaken in Rhino and documentation in AutoCAD,
then at Hyder, where Strand7 was used for structural
analysis, and finally at Two Feathers, the shop
drawing detailer, where Inventor was used for
the steel work. McLaren says it was a demanding
process to determine the spans and a uniform steel
thickness that would support the entire canopy.

“When we brought the scheme to Hyder it was

fairly well developed but it was difficult for the
engineers to intuitively say: ‘Yes, that span will
work,’ or ‘We can use this thickness of steel’,”
McLaren says. “They imported our 3D model into
their 3D modelling system to look at every element
in terms of deflection and stresses on it.

“We’ve got beautiful images from Hyder’s 3D model

that show how stresses are increasing as the
canopy tries to cantilever out further away from
its supports,” McLaren continues. “We would have
had a dozen different schemes going back and
forth where we adjusted the size of the hexagons,
and how far they were stretching from one column
support to another, so the engineers could give us
detailed feedback.”

The hexagons are a uniform size on top of the

canopy – they had to be in order to install identical
glass panels over each one – but the roof pitch
changes on three angles (12, six and 12 degrees
respectively) making them irregular underneath.

“Hyder were fantastic in enabling us to refine that

structural system down to just eight millimeter-thick
“We’ve got beautiful images from Hyder’s
steel plate throughout.” McLaren says. “A lot of
people don’t realise when they look at the structure
3D model that show how stresses are
that there are no big steel beams, there’s nothing
hidden to hold it up: it’s completely self-supporting
increasing as the canopy tries to cantilever
using just 8mm thick BlueScope XLERPLATE® steel
welded together.
out further away from its supports”
“There are not many structures that do that,”
he adds. “Hyder had never tested it before,
and it was new for us, so they did a great job
resolving it to such an extent.”

For structural engineer and Hyder associate Panel says

director Dominic Li, working on this project
The architecture of Federation Square is so rich
was a career highlight. “This is one of the most
challenging projects I have been involved in and complex that it’s a difficult proposition to design
because of its geometry,” he says. “I don’t know new spaces that will sit comfortably within the
construction sequence how we could have done it without the aid existing built form. This all-steel canopy proves,
of 3D design and documentation software.” though, that it is possible. The honeycomb structural
steel system that was developed to achieve precise
The team initially considered two possible
sun control is particularly effective. We like both the
construction materials for the canopy, but, with input
from the fabricator, eventually settled on BlueScope scale of the canopy and the up-tilt of the front edge,
XLERPLATE® steel 250 Grade 8mm-thick plate. “We a simple gesture that alerts people in the plaza
were conscious of keeping the total weight of glass below to its presence from afar. These qualities help
and structure down, because the project cost would the Cloud Canopy to assert its own unique presence
have doubled if we’d had to reinforce the supporting while integrating with the architectural fabric of
columns at railway track level,” McLaren says. Fed Square. As a small yet highly detailed insertion,
ABOVE: From a birds-eye perspective, the
uniformity of the hexagons is evident, whereas “That’s why we looked at aluminium as an alternative we think it makes a compelling contribution to
from below (opposite), the openings appear for the structure, but our research revealed that steel Melbourne’s urban playground.
irregular because the angle of the pitch was the most economic and logical, in terms of
varies between six and 12 degrees ease-of-fabrication and welding on site.” æ
26 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 27
 To meet the requirement of a short on-site depending on the sun’s angle, while the ‘trees’
construction period – a mere 10 weeks from were painted in grey, so they appear to recede
September to November 2013 – the team worked into the background.
hard to refine the pre-fabrication process to
At night, each of the 180 hexagons are lit with LED
streamline construction, treatment, delivery and
lighting: three strips on the northern sides throw light
assembly on site. “To the architect’s credit and
onto the gold steel surface, giving the impression
with Fed Square management’s support, we had a
the honeycomb cells are ‘glowing’. Beneath the
shop drawing detailer – Julian Featherstone from
canopy, joinery was constructed with mild steel
Two Feathers – on the design team,” Li says. “His
plate and timber to demarcate three distinct zones
shop drawings were part of the tender and contract
on the ground – the cafe tenancy, public access to
documents, so the fabricator could start fabrication
the atrium and public seating outside the café.
soon after the construction contract was awarded.
The canopy lifts up slightly at its western edge,
“The whole process of working with the steel detailers
which McLaren says was a deliberate attempt to
was incredibly important to make sure we had
draw people up from the plaza, and to welcome
designed something that was feasible and buildable,
them into the space. “We thinned off the profile on
but we didn’t make the fabricators’ lives completely
easy,” McLaren adds. “The simplest solution would
the leading edge to expose the belly of the canopy, Cloud Canopy
have been to allow the fabricators to bolt it together,
to create a sense of intrigue, of ‘What’s going on
under there?’,” he explains. ‘Green’ cred’s
but we never gave them that option because we
were looking for something that was seamless. The name Cloud Canopy is derived from the initial As well as being an architectural and
design inspiration for an ethereal object that engineering marvel, Cloud Canopy
“We did a lot of work to determine how to site-weld appears to float freely above Federation Square. incorporates many sustainable design
these junctions in an efficient way, because each “It has soft edges, an irregular and fluid form, and attributes across the triple-bottom line
junction is three plates of steel meeting together is partially transparent, when looking up through of environmental, social and financial
in a ‘Mercedes Benz symbol’ star formation,” he it to the sky,” McLaren says. “We also liked that aspects. The design embodies the
explains. “We produced full-sized prototypes to the name references the weather, which was
work out whether to weld on all three sides, or weld concept of bio-mimicry – where built
another key design consideration.”  
them together in one go – and we managed to figure forms take their cues from the natural
out a way to do that – while still ensuring it was McLaren believes the canopy has met its functional world – by replicating the effects of
done within the tolerance of the whole structure, brief, in terms of activating a previously under- deciduous trees. In this case, the unique
within a few millimetres of accuracy.” utilised section of Fed Square. “The day it opened, structure – with its angled steel-plate
I was doing my usual defects inspection, and roof supported by six steel ‘trunks’ –
The original shop drawings had the canopy divided within half an hour of the barriers coming down,
into 10 sections for transport and delivery but offers shade in summer yet allows the
there were dozens of people walking straight up
the steel fabricator Rob Nealy from Custometal sun to reach the ground in winter, just
the square and into the atrium, and I’d never seen
Engineering, chose to divide it into 20 pieces. like a cyclical forest.
people do that before, because it was perceived
“Getting the different pieces to the painter, then to be private café space,” he explains. The use of lightweight, self-supporting
to site, required a pilot escort and driving through
The canopy provides some unexpected delight steel columns and steel plate provides both
the city was an exercise in patience,” Nealy says.
too, as McLaren discovered after it was finished. financial and environmental advantages.
“Also, the weight limitations of the concrete slab
foundation required us to work out which size “The ability to look up through the lightweight steel The steel is durable and has been treated
crane to use, which then dictated how heavy and glass windows is otherworldly, and I hadn’t to provide a maintenance-free life span
each section could be.” expected how powerful it would be before I did it of 50 years, and it has the capacity to be
myself for the first time,” he says. recycled in future, should requirements
The decision to use BlueScope XLERPLATE® steel
And as for Fed Square’s original architects? change. Also, because the Canopy employs
was made primarily by the fabricator, although
They like it too, McLaren says. “One thing I feel the ultimate passive solar design strategy,
architect and engineer stipulated the thickness of
the plate and to ensure the chosen product would quite proud of as far as the design goes is that there is no need for daytime lighting,
perform to specification. “It really was our choice,” we had some lovely comments and feedback which reduces energy consumption.
Nealy says. “While it’s recommended that we use from LAB Architects,” he says.
Socially, the canopy contributes to the
Australian product, we can make a decision to use “That was always a big concern for us, because overall quality of Fed Square by creating
a different supplier. But, we didn’t want to gamble naturally there were a lot of eyes on us in that
a new place for people to gather and
on quality and wanted to ensure compliance to all space, and we didn’t want to interfere with
connect. The wide spans made possible
the necessary standards and codes, so we chose LAB’s vision,” McLaren says. “It can be a scary
what we know to be a quality, consistent product.” by the use of steel allow people to
prospect going into someone else’s territory.”
congregate underneath, or walk through
The hexagonal canopy is supported by six ‘trees’ So despite the Cloud Canopy being challenging on and around the structure, without
or columns, each with three ‘branches’. Four of the myriad fronts, not least of which is its complex steel
impediment. At the same time, Cloud
‘trunks’ were made using mild steel and two were geometry, Maddison Architects has produced a
Canopy exerts its own unique presence
constructed with stainless steel: they function as
integrated downpipes. All of the steel was treated
spectacular result. “Fed Square management wanted
something special in that place, and so while what
“The ability to look up through the lightweight and builds upon the ethos of place-
with a four-layer paint system that is expected to
last for 50 years: the canopy was finished with a
we’ve created is not the simplest, most rational or
cheapest shade structure,” McLaren says, “they
steel and glass windows is otherworldly, and making that was intrinsic to the design
of Fed Square from the outset.
metallic gold paint in the colour FX 41/089, which
gives it the impression of glowing or sparkling
were willing to set budget aside for the sake of a
high quality, crafted object.” sp
I hadn’t expected how powerful it would be In short, Cloud Canopy is an exemplar
of climate adaptive design. Climate
before I did it myself for the first time” responsive projects such as this are
Project Cloud Canopy Client Fed Square Pty Ltd Architect Maddison Architects Project Team Kim McLaren structural & Civil Engineer Hyder Consulting perfectly designed to provide shelter
Builder & Steel Fabricator Custometal Engineering Shop Drawing Contractor Two Feathers Principal steel components Hexagonal roof structure: Eight mm-thick as future climate changes take effect.
BlueScope XLERPLATE® steel 250 Grade plate; mild steel structural columns and integrated stainless steel drainpipes Project Timeframe Three months to site assembly
Awards 2014 Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Chapter Awards – Commendation for Urban Design Building Size 210m2

28 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 29

 This relaxed and elegant hinterland residence uses steel and
glass to redefine the traditional lightweight coastal retreat.
Words Micky Pinkerton Photography Paul Bradshaw

Architect
Tzannes Associates and
Bosanquet Foley Architects
Project
Byron Hinterland Residence
Location
Coorabell, New South Wales

30 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 31

 I
n a career spanning more than 30 years Drawing inspiration from the vernacular architecture The vast roof demanded oversized accessories says Tzannes. “To try to make this out of timber or
Alec Tzannes has developed a solid name for of the area and the double roofs found in tropical to match. A custom-made gutter made from aluminium, they’re more volatile materials and tend
a certain kind of residence – the classic urban Asian environments, Tzannes made the roof larger stainless steel 316 and measuring 900mm across to move around a lot more, which makes moving
beauty clothed in subtle shades of render. But it is than customarily needed in order to enclose and runs along the narrower dimension of the roof. glass elements and other moving elements such
just that – a reputation rather than a predisposition create a zone through which to run banks of It forms an architectural element in itself, as as louvres more difficult to manage simply because
– as a closer review of the practice’s work reveals. climate-modifying louvres. Following the typography well as collecting rainwater which is recycled they jam. So the project was definitely tailor-made
of the site, it connects the whole building and its to irrigate the extensive gardens. for steel and no other material.”
Since 1983 Tzannes Associates’ architectural timeline
various rooms to their surrounds. Roofing made from Beneath the roof, the super-structure was Tzannes sees skills transference as an important
has been punctuated at regular intervals with steel
COLORBOND® Ultra steel in LYSAGHT TRIMDEK® constructed from a variety of RHS, UC, UB, EA, part of the architect’s role and used local steel
buildings. There is a clear thread, from the Kinsella
profile, in the colour Shale Grey™, was specified fabricators on the build. He also engaged a
House, which was awarded Steel Profile House of UA, PFC and T-beam steel sections. Steel was
for multiple reasons. regionally-based architect to do the documentation
the Decade in 1991 as well as the Wilkinson Award, chosen for its structural properties but also for
and contract administration. Sarah Foley, of
to the more recent Sherman Studio, which was an “It’s a very simple, inexpensive, durable and its dimensional stability.
Bosanquet Foley, had first-hand knowledge
Australian Steel Institute and Australian Institute low-pitch material,” says Tzannes. “It’s extremely “Steel gives you maximum span for minimum of Tzannes’ approach having spent time in his
of Architects Awards winner. practical and fit-for-purpose, and probably the material, in other words you can create a very practice as a work experience student and
“Relative to volume of work, our steel homes only best choice for this type of application.” glassy home because of the nature of the structure,” then more comprehensively in her year out æ
occur once every two or three years,” says Tzannes.
“It’s not what we’re known for, it’s not what our
media profile is like, but people who know our
work intimately know we can handle steel.”

The owner of this Byron Hinterland Residence,

having experienced a number of Tzannes’ projects
in the ‘flesh’, was fully apprised of that body of work
and was drawn to the practice for its attention to
detail and specification, rather than a desire for a
house in one material or another. Having purchased
the Coorabell acreage more than a decade ago,
the brief simply stipulated a family home with a
relaxed attitude to living.

However, there was the small matter of the squat

and suburban existing brick home on the site to
overcome first. Commanding the best vantage point
with the worst of intentions, it had little regard for
local climate or modern living. Tzannes saw an
opportunity to use the base of the original building
Level 0
and then impose a mega-structure of steel over it
in order to provide the aspect and scale required to
take advantage of the prevailing winds and deliver
the client’s desired approach to space. Faced with
the additional constraint of budget, Tzannes opted
for a more utilitarian typology than his usual oeuvre.

“We used a very simple way of building,” he explains.

“I would almost call it a factory technology. We just
built a long-span truss, steel framed, with a lot of ABove: The superstructure was constructed from a variety of RHS, UC, UB, EA, UA, PFC and T beam steel sections
pre-fabrication offsite and a very quick erection time. and topped with an over-size roof to create a zone through which to run banks of climate-modifying louvres
There’s a big simple skillion roof which collects all Below: The steel-framed long-span trusses were pre-fabricated off-site, allowing for quick on-site assembly
the water at one end. So in the end we got a lot
of volume and a lot of space with the simplest
form of construction.”

Level 1
“Steel gives you
maximum span for
minimum material…
you can create a
very glassy home
TOP: A custom gutter made from stainless steel 316 and
because of the nature measuring 900mm across runs along the roof, forming
an architectural element in itself
of the structure”

Level 2
32 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 33
 Some of the weathering steel panels are perforated to allow filtered light through
to the communal spaces and bedrooms, without compromising privacy

In the living areas, vista

and scale are emphasised Steel features heavily in the interior
through the main axis detailing, as seen in the balustrades,
of the building kitchen benches, handrails and fireplace

between architecture degrees. Tzannes describes Steel features heavily in the interior detailing, too,
Foley as an ‘exceptional’ young architect who was from the balustrades and handrails to the kitchen
Panel says an effective and collaborative design partner, and benches and fireplace surrounds. It was a deliberate
who understood the level of detailing and the quality aesthetic choice, and part of an intention to integrate
This is a fine example of an all-steel renovation and of work that they wanted to achieve. For her part the interior and the exterior as much as possible.
extension that combines exposed steel columns, Foley relished the opportunity to work with her early “If it was possible to build a building out of one
beams and trusses with large sections of glazed mentor once again. material I would,” says Tzannes. “I think that
curtain walling to create a light-filled interior space consistency of detailing from small elements
“The experience was great and it was critical to
with mezzanine level. It’s even more remarkable when to large elements reduces visual noise and makes
have had that year of working with Alec in Sydney
you consider the brick and tile house that preceded everything hang together as a simpler element.”
so I could translate his ideas into the structure,”
this transformation: the previous dwelling didn’t says Foley. “I knew the level of finish that they This light-filled and well-ventilated building has a
take advantage of the lush and verdant sub-tropical generally aimed for and the palette of materials and direct dialogue with the landscape and climate,
site. Holistically, this striking house is at one with its the palette of fixtures to incorporate into the building. and the interaction between inside and outside is
landscape, offering myriad opportunities to enjoy the So I could take that sketch design and translate it further enriched by wrap-around verandas and the
garden from its many and varied rooms and spaces. fairly easily – it was about trying to keep the integrity internal arrangement of spaces. In the upper living
of what Tzannes Associates would have followed areas, vista and scale are emphasised through
through with had they done it all from Sydney.” the main axis, creating an expansive, elegant and
inspiring environment. While on the lower level,
hewn from the base of the earlier masonry house,
the more intimate spaces of bedrooms and a
children’s retreat work to the cross axis.

The end result is a building that is light-years away

from the original, transforming the clients’ way of
living and their relationship with their surrounds.
Tzannes is equally pleased with the outcome.

“The thing I like most about the building is its clarity

and simplicity as a structure and as a spatial idea.
And just the feeling that you’re in Byron and not
anywhere else,” he says. “I call it a sense of the
The house follows the topography of the site, connecting the building and its various rooms to their surrounds
architecture as free because the way you want
to live is free. You feel as though you are in the
space and the synergy between inside and
outside creates variations which affect your Project Byron Hinterland Residence Client Roderick Peters Architect Tzannes Associates and Bosanquet Foley Architects Project Team Alec Tzannes – Tzannes Associates,
moods and emotions, and qualities of experience.” Sarah Foley – Bosanquet Foley Architects structural & Civil Engineer Bill Short Hydraulic Engineer Doug Flannery Builder Owner Builder (John Dickford assisting)
Steel FabricatoR and Shop Drawing Contractor Mullumbimby Engineering Landscape Architect Lisa Hochhauser GLAZING Phillip Robin, Millennium Glass
Whether it’s a luxurious Sydney manse or a Principal steel components Steel structure – assortment of RHS, UC, UB, EA, UA, PFC and T-beam sections. Roofing: COLORBOND® Ultra steel in LYSAGHT TRIMDEK® profile,
simply built coastal retreat, Tzannes’ intimate in the colour Shale Grey™. Balustrade and handrails made from stainless steel 316 RHS and cable; bespoke gutter and downpipes made from stainless steel 316; kitchen bench made from
appreciation of place, space and form is plain stainless steel 316; fireplace surrounds made from mild steel plate Project Timeframe 2007-2010 Awards 2014 Australian Institute of Architects NSW Chapter Awards – shortlisted
to see and provides further evidence of the Building Size 420m2 Total Project Cost $2,000,000
Long section
transcendental power of architecture. sp

34 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 35

 SL
20 20
Reprising the traditional college quadrangle with a
lightweight, cloaked twist of steel roofing, this part
cave, part tree-house education building provides
a great sense of space, airiness and volume.
Words Peter Hyatt Photography Sarah Louise; Peter Hyatt

Architect
DesignInc
Project
Regional Community Health Hub
(REACH) Building, Deakin University
Location
Waurn Ponds, Victoria

36 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 37

SL

A
ustralia is at the forefront of a global Sited near the university’s eastern entrance, The architecture reprises the traditional college
education-led development boom with a REACH is flanked by a lake that lends a distinctly quadrangle with the lightweight cloaked twist of
crop of signature buildings rising like freshly rustic edge and is a haven for birdlife. Such an a roof made from COLORBOND® steel in Stramit
seeded fields. Once considered higher education idyllic setting provides every opportunity for the Speedeck Ultra® profile, in the colour Windspray®.
fringe-dwellers, many regional universities now architecture to reflect and reveal itself. A wedge
Wall cladding made from COLORBOND® steel in
boast facilities that peg them squarely alongside their of treed landscape on three sides of the building
LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK 700 HI-STRENGTH® profile, in
blue-chip CBD cousins. A case in point is Deakin invites architecture of interaction. Not content with
the colour Shale Grey™ features on the project’s
University’s Waurn Ponds campus on the outskirts open, permeable interiors, DesignInc provided a
northern and southern facades.
of Geelong, where the new Regional Community roof deck overlooking the campus green.
Health Hub (REACH) bristles with clever connections. The generous central atrium that separates east
Steel is the project’s signature, says Wilson: “It’s
and west is illuminated by a saw-tooth roof and
A history of working at Deakin University’s Waurn the champion. It allowed evocative building shapes North elevation a North elevation b
engenders much of the building’s character.
Ponds’ campus for the past 15 years clearly helped and an innovative, raked facade,” he explains. In the
Framed by a series of broad meeting spaces,
DesignInc with its project funding submission. final analysis DesignInc’s architecture is all about
pods and circulation zones, an easy spatial flow
“We were fortunate to be involved in the project the yin and yang of two counterbalanced volumes
is established and highlighted by a full-height
from conception to completion,” says DesignInc of concrete and steel. Concrete anchors the
cascading plate-steel staircase. More than
director and project architect Rohan Wilson. laboratories, while steel is the superstructure
mere circulation driver, the staircase acts as
This continuity of involvement assisted in making for administration and recreation spaces.
a social network conduit to the point that the
the project what it is.”
Wilson says the practice had to juggle competing dual lifts are rarely put to work.
As the first project to be built under the university’s needs for academic offices and dynamic learning
While design and fabrication of the internal plate-
expanded campus master-plan, REACH is intended spaces. “I’m not sure we used anything especially
steel staircase was straightforward, Wilson says the
to accommodate new courses in community health new, but we certainly used existing elements in
external raked staircase wrapped around the building
disciplines, including optometry, science and nutrition. new and ingenious ways,” he says. He points to
on the north and east elevation – where it acts as
From its position on a semi-rural campus, its primary the lecture theatres, which are typically tacked
a wintergarden – was more complex. Part of a dual
role is to help address the shortage of doctors and onto the edge of buildings, fully enclosed, or
facade and thermal buffer, Wilson says that knitting
allied health professionals in country areas. buried deep within, to create light-proof spaces.
together the steel and glazing was a real challenge.
Originally planned as a campus ‘icon’ project, it was “The brief required flexible, multiple learning
“We thought it was fully resolved in design
later designated with ‘gateway’ status, and one of the spaces. It needed to function as a standard lecture
development and documentation and would
big challenges for DesignInc was to meet that brief theatre where the room can be blacked out for use
work perfectly, but at the shop-drawing stage we
while maintaining an interactive and human scale. with projections, or for small groups in a normal
identified some connection and fit issues,” he
classroom setting.” Referring to the glass lecture
REACH houses a bustling education community in recalls. “We were able to address those before they
theatre that looks out across the fields and lake:
two connected wings – research labs and teaching became problems in the workshop, or at installation.
“It’s a big glass box,” he explains with a mixture
spaces are offset from staff offices and common- In the end it all went together beautifully, but it
of defiance and pleasure. “It isn’t the usual
room – with both wings connected symbolically required real attention to detail.” æ
response at all.”
and physically via a three-storey naturally lit
atrium, and a powerhouse of a steel staircase. This part cave, part tree-house dichotomy
provides a great sense of space, airiness and
As headquarters for 1500 students and 172 staff,
volume despite the charcoal-toned interior of
the project’s 8000 square-metre floor space is
the atrium and administration.
arranged across four levels and springs from a
thoughtful thesis and blueprint.
The architects sought a visually pleasing cladding with a colour-
DesignInc’s initial brief called for a future-proof,
inherent finish that could provide necessary span sizes and require
generic research building to allow expanded
low maintenance. Thus the project’s western, northern and southern
research capabilities for the next decade.
walls are adorned with COLORBOND® steel in LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK
700 HI-STRENGTH® profile, in the colour Shale Grey™

PH
REACH was planned as a campus ‘icon’ project, while maintaining an interactive
Illuminated by a saw-tooth roof that engenders
much of the building’s character, the three-story and human scale
central atrium connects east and west wings
via a cascading plate-steel staircase revealed
by spearing raked glass

West elevation

38 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 39

 Wilson says that the project reflects the firm’s which could provide the necessary spans.
ethos about everything needing to be multi- The inherent nature of steel and the finish of
purpose. He cites the wintergarden and atrium COLORBOND® steel, in particular, means it Panel says
staircases as examples of elements that boast will look just as good in 10 years’ time.
multi-purpose roles. This project demonstrates a masterful combination of
“We want people who enter the atrium to feel steel, glass and timber: it’s a considered investigation
“If a feature only has one idea, or a single comfortable,” he adds. “Other materials could
of how those materials might be harmoniously
function, then it’s not really providing a full easily have felt quite oppressive, but steel has
deployed without relinquishing any of their individual
benefit or efficiency. Everything has to perform an inherent capacity to be extremely refined
performative strengths and characteristics. Two
LEFT: Steel’s role as skeleton and envelope is especially evident in the main multiple roles or it’s out,” he says. and elegant and we think that is achieved here.”
atrium volume, where it knits with glass open staircases – one in the central atrium and
“The non-air-conditioned atrium allows vertical All construction can essentially be viewed as one that hugs the glass facade – provide rich
BELOW: REACH will accommodate new courses in community health circulation; it unites the two main structures and toy blocks writ-large and REACH is a statement spatial experiences framed by steel structure, as
disciplines, including optometry, science and nutrition brings light and air into the space. It also functions as building that clearly expresses its kit of parts. Is it
well as visual connections within the building and
a thermal chimney with ceiling louvres, and is heated ‘gateway’ or ‘icon’? Perhaps what matters more is
to the broader campus outside. With its carefully
as needed by a thermal rock store,” Wilson explains. DesignInc’s gift of a social and cultural dimension
orchestrated plan and strong detailing to the
“It’s the communication and break-out space that is that will not be easily outmoded. The opportunity
the heart and soul that glues the whole place together. to educate health professionals destined for rural external elevations, this is a welcome addition
and remote locations, in a building that is carefully to Deakin University's Waurn Ponds campus.
“Everything we propose and do has to be
situated in such a setting, is now within REACH. sp
defendable,” Wilson adds. “If we can’t defend our
idea then what we’re proposing is incorrect. Is there
a rationale behind it? If all you can say is: ‘Because
I like the shape’, that simply isn’t a strong enough
defence. It has to respond to the topography, or to the
function and then you may have something. It doesn’t
2
mean as architects we must always be defensive,
but we need a good reason to justify those major 1
choices. That internal rigour means we’re more 12
likely to have a defendable position for our design.” 3
11
Steel’s role as skeleton and envelope may be
especially evident in the main atrium volume but is 4
10
PH

expressed right along the service walkway on the 2

west elevation. “We have walkways on the roof 8
and right along the west facade that really continue 5
6 7
that industrial vernacular of the saw-tooth roof,”
he explains. “But it’s highly practical. Deakin has
a very strict OH&S policy that plant is not to be
exposed on the roof, but screened. All maintenance
PH

is about safe access and access that does not

13
disrupt classes or administration.”

And then there’s the spearing signature of a raked

glass and steel facade belonging to academic 1
offices on the north-east corner which greets
visitors with a beguiling clarity and transparency.

Wilson says this integrated expertise is vital. 3

“The facade comprises secondary steelwork raked
in two directions. You don’t just design a primary 1
structure and clip-on glass,” he asserts. “That
supporting secondary grid of steelwork involves 9
2
a lot of complexity and the builder, Cockram, did a
fantastic job. They made it appear quite effortless.”

Wilson says steel’s utilitarian qualities are a huge

Floor plan LEGEND
part of its appeal and understated ‘wow’ factor.
1. Lab 8. Lift
“We needed a very utilitarian finish that looked
good with very low maintenance and had an 2. Stair 9. Prep classroom
inherent colour rather than applied finish, 3. Tutorial 10. Atrium
SL

4. E-Hub 11. Reception

ABOVE: Expressed on the service walkways, steel continues the project’s 5. Consult 12. Offices
industrial, saw-tooth vernacular 6. Clinical exercise 13. Lecture theatre

RIGHT: More than mere circulation driver, the staircase acts as a social 7. Student common
network conduit to the point that the elevators are rarely used
Project Regional Community Health Hub (REACH) Building, Waurn Ponds Campus, Deakin University Client Deakin University Architect DesignInc Project team Rohan Wilson,
Christon Batey-Smith, John Loftus-Hill, Roger Schmidt, Tim Walpole-Walsh, Costa Papadopoulos, Sonya Montgomerie, Peter Whiter, Philip Weatherlake, Wilson Heng, Kylie McQualter,
Afrodite Moulatsiotis, Christopher Free, Travers Cunnington Project engineer Irwin Consult Project engineer (services) Umow Lai Builder Cockram Constructions
Roofer (supply and install) Geelong Roofing Landscape architecture GBLA Principal steel components Roof cladding made from COLORBOND® steel in Stramit
Speedeck Ultra® profile, in the colour Windspray®; Wall cladding made from COLORBOND® steel in LYSAGHT KLIP-LOK 700 HI-STRENGTH® profile, in the colour Shale Grey™;
Gutters, support brackets & stop ends, downpipes & fixing brackets made from COLORBOND® steel in the colour Shale Grey™ Project size 8000m2 Total Project Cost $40 million

40 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 41

PH
Steel Details

Over throne
In the search for a recognisable material that
STEEL Gutter

privacy screen
column
6o
17
o

3265

3563
privacy screen 100x4mm THK GALVANISED STEEL FLAT BAR

resonated with the public (yet could withstand SLATTED CLADDING

public vigour), the architects of this toilet block

F
563 180

100

100
loriade is a key event on Canberra’s calendar,
harnessed a prosaic steel product reminiscent attracting 400,000 visitors each year who
of humble timber weatherboard. come to admire over one million flowers Section

Words Micky Pinkerton Photography Paul Bradshaw in bloom. While portable toilets were adequate
in the early years, the popularity of the event
has since demanded more permanent amenities
at various intervals throughout the venue at
Commonwealth Park. Townsend + Associates
Architects was thus engaged by the local
authority to produce a multipurpose building What we really like about the steel cladding is that
which would house three disabled toilets and
provide shelter, not just for Floriade visitors, it gives the skin of the building depth and interest
but for locals throughout the year.

Starting with the context and site, the architects

Influenced by the early modernists, Bruce and proportion of each bar is a lovely size, and when
felt that the proposed building needed to respond
Catherine Townsend are interested in using structural you put it together like this it gives the skin of
to a nearby bank of hills and so a rising, slightly
materials in an expressive and elemental way. This the building depth and interest,” Catherine says.
folded roof was developed, providing an expansive
approach, combined with the desire for the building to “It gives it a more human scale via the repetitive
gesture and an open and inclusive form. From the
look more domestic and less toilet block-like, led them use of a really common material.”
outset the structure was imagined in steel, for its
to workshop cladding options for the building.
economy and low maintenance attributes. Apart The final result provides the low cost, low
from a timber soffit and perforated aluminium “We did originally look at using big steel panels maintenance and impact-resistant structure
shading panels, the entire building is made which might have included some kind of decoration,” sought by the client, while avoiding the visual sins
from steel – from its roof made from COLORBOND® explains Catherine. “But in the end we felt that this of the ubiquitous breeze block. It also showcases
steel in LYSAGHT CUSTOM ORB® profile, in the would have been unnecessary – it just becomes a very simple but nonetheless innovative way of
colour Shale Grey™, through to the built-in steel another decorated sheet to be vandalised. What using a readily available material more commonly
table-cum-bench. we really like about the steel cladding is that the found in fencing and framework. sp

Project Commonwealth Park Multi-Purpose Structure Client Australian Capital Tourism, National Capital Authority, Territory and Municipal Services
Architect Townsend + Associates Architects Project Team Bruce Townsend, Catherine Townsend, Alessandro Rossi structural Engineer Northrop
Consulting Engineers Builder G E Shaw & Associates (ACT) Steel Fabricator Baxter Engineering Cladding Contractor G E Shaw & Associates (ACT)
Landscape Architects Redbox Design Group Principal steel components Prefabricated fully welded base structure from 100 SHS and 100 x 50
RHS members; BlueScope 150 UC structural columns; BlueScope 300 PFC roof fascia beams with fully welded continuous flashing plate; C200 24 roof purlins;
prefabricated hot dipped galvanised roof water gutter & spitter fabricated from 150 x 10 angle; 100 x 4 thick galvanised flat bar cladding; sunshade screen from
perforated aluminium panels on hot-dipped galvanised 100 x 50 x 4 RHS and 100 x 100 x 4 SHS framing; privacy screen from perforated aluminium panels
on 75 x 75 x 4 SHS framing; roofing made from COLORBOND® steel in LYSAGHT CUSTOM ORB® profile, in the colour Shale Grey™; prefabricated steel
seats and table Project Timeframe October 2010 to January 2011 Building Size 257m2 Total Project Cost $410,000

75mm SHS bracing in wall

Concrete hob
Coved floor
50 x 6mm steel flat continuously
welded to RHS
13

100 x 100 RHS cut around hob

18

to finish at bottom level of

82

steel edging strip

8

100 x 4 Galvanised steel

‘weatherboard’-style flat-BAR
cladding. face fixed to steel tag
Weather seal strip

s/s lining to bathroom interior

2 15 90 15 8

17 100 13

42 steel.com.au/steelprofile sp118 architectural steel innovation 43

 steel profile 118

9 3 2 0 0 7 5 0 7 7 3 5 8

steel.com.au/steelprofile