A post COVID re-evaluation of office space needs saw this inner city low rise building become superfluous to requirements.
The bones of the building were fine, but a reclad was in order. The mid 1990’s fibre cement panels were failing, especially where exposed to the sun on the northern and western facades.
Mondo Clad panels were specified for their strict compliance with the relevant Australian Standard governing composite panels, which in recent history have plagued the construction sector.
The entrance needed some love too. Over the decades the hedges flanking the entrance path had grown so big that the building entry was obscured, and the after hours journey from building to car park didn’t feel as safe as it should have.
We removed these hedges to open the entry to the street, and emphasised it with an elevated perforated metal screen, which looks very much of this century.
The way this screen ties into the building was integral to the design. By tying its colours and lines to the building we think it gives the building a new lease of life.
Juxtaposed with this muted metallic palette was a contrasting racing red awning system. This new sun shading increases the thermal efficiency of the building by reducing heat load. Other factors to modernise the building during the refit included adding or upgrading the wall insulation and window sealing.
The client now has a revitalised asset, whose external appearance of an evening sets it apart, with a shimmering illumination of the champagne pattern panels that form the entry canopy.
Suppliers:
Facade: Mondo Clad