MAF Multipurpose Building

The five-Star Green Star building on a tight site sits among mature totara and a line of oak trees. An equally tight budget required a focus on the essentials of passive design. The result has a design energy use of just 39 kilowatt hours per square metre per year, a third of the Green Star benchmark.

The key gesture is the mono pitch form of the main block. It rises up to the east to provide daylight for the full depth of the building. This also allows the building to breathe, providing natural ventilation to the high occupancy spaces.

The use of timber throughout reflects this setting and the client’s association with forestry. There is a strong contrast between exterior and interior.

The exterior of the box like forms is dark with a textured band sawn vertical cladding reflecting its protective role and the surrounding totara trees. On the two sides of the main block where there are a greater extent of windows a lighter coloured plywood cladding is used to accentuate this openness.

The admin block has large sliding windows to allow the space to open up. When the windows are closed high insulation levels keep the building warm with a mechanical system that delivers air through the floor allowing more fresh air at a lower velocity, critical for a seminar space to perform. A gravel swale takes all the storm water and low VOC/formaldehyde coatings and materials are used throughout.

The interior is light to accentuate the feeling of space with careful use of glazing filling the building with daylight.

Colours used: Resene Half Truffle, Resene Merino, Resene Tiri, custom colour MAF Wallaceville.

Products used: Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, Resene Lustacryl, Resene Aquaclear, Resene Waterborne Woodsman.

Architectural Specifier: Stephenson & Turner
Building Contractor: Freear Phillip Ltd
Colour Selection: Stephenson & Turner
Painting Contractor: Freear Phillip Ltd
Photographer: Paul McCredie
Winner: Resene Total Colour Sustainable System Award
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2010
From the Resene News – issue 3/2010

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