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Akoranga Campus on the North Shore Auckland is quite literally the new home of students with the completion of the ambitious 10 block AUT Student Village accommodation complex. With an array of new buildings on the one site, each has been kept in tone with its neighbour by common design style and by repetition of the exterior colour palette across all blocks.

The predominantly neutral exterior scheme of Resene Tea (beige) and Resene White Pointer (blacked white) includes feature panels of Resene Oxley (dusty green), Resene Brandy Punch (burnt orange) and Resene Delta Blue (warm blue) combined with trims and downpipes of Resene Arapawa (deep sea green blue), successfully adding colour without cluttering sightlines. Exterior substrates are finished in a mix of Resene Lumbersider satin acrylic (concrete foundation walls, fibrous cement sheet soffits, timber posts and fascias), Resene Resitex Medium textured finish with a protective glaze of Resene Multishield+ (Harditex walls) and Resene Hi-Glo high gloss acrylic (PVC downpipes and rainwater tanks).

Interior substrates are dominated by Resene Zylone SpaceCote, a low sheen waterbased enamel combining the toughness of an enamel with all the benefits of a waterbased product. Joining this finish is Resene Qristal Poly-Satin polyurethane on timber wall panels and Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterbased enamel on timber architraves and joinery. With students coming and going at rapid pace, the interior systems were selected for long-term toughness and resistance to damage and ease of use.

Soft yellows increase the perception of warmth and light in the interior in the form of Resene Splash (light yellow) walls and Resene Scotch Mist (mid yellow) trims mirrored in high traffic areas. A single strong feature wall of Resene Cab Sav (burgundy red), Resene Juniper (blue green) and Resene Salt Box (purpled grey) is allocated to each building in prime communal space. The yellow tones are extended into typical individual apartments and enlivened with features such as Resene Tuscany (terracotta) in each kitchen.

I Block is designated as a service and social area housing essential services such as a laundry, common room, computer, data and electrical rooms for the benefit of all. The colour scheme detours into hues of Resene Acropolis (light beige), Resene Tea (beige) and Resene Napa (grey neutral), highly popular yet functional neutrals, easily accented with accessories to suit changing student tastes.

With clever use of colour and facilities purpose-built for a smart resident set, this accommodation scores an A+ all round.

Architect: Don Jamieson Architecture
Building Contractor: Peter Jacques, Avoca Construction
Client: Townscape Drummond Ltd
Painting Contractor: Grant Briden, TBS Fleming
Resene: Andy McDonald, Wellington Architectural Services Manager, Northern Regional Architectural Division.
From the Resene News – issue 4/2003

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