The Final Design...The Torquay Senior School Health & Wellbeing Centre

Current Design...Health & Wellbeing Centre

With a chance to design a structure that is respondent to the landscape of Torquay, especially with the rolling hills towards the rear of Torquay like this school is, I find it very refreasing to see my design take a shape that for one:

i. Provides the ultimate space + volume for a Sports Centre.

ii. Embodies a style and shape that is consistant with the expectations of Torquay design per say.

iii. Has a three dimensionality which is rear for a building of this type in a situation like a Department of education design...it has a true form which moves and changes as you to move and change your position around the footprint of the building.

iv. The internal design of the floorplan offers the most flexibility for staff and students, for seperation and intergration of new teaching styles, appropriate informal and formal learning spaces, ability to perform for school activites and weekend/afterhours activites.

v. Ease of accessibility, from existing proposed school facilietes, from other areas of the school, such as outdoor sporting facilities, the new Middle school, the redesigned entrance and exit of the school, and the adaptability of the growing city which is Torquay.

Sacramento State_Spanos Sports & Recreation Complex_02

There is many different points of view and copious amounts of different teaching methods, desired space allocation and idealistic design response for educational purposes...

But these are all required to make the most balanced facility so as the students have the most appropriate space to learn in and similarly the faculty have the most up-to-date and logical space to teach in...

In America, the Sacramento State - Spanos Sports & Recreation Complex has set a standard in design layout of a facility, it has a traditional American Brick Veneer exterior, but it is the approach to the Master plan and the layout within that truly produces a harmonious building entity.

Pay Peanuts get Monkeys...

The Geelong Grammar School is arguably the leading school of education in the country, therefore it doesn't surprise me that when they go off and design a 'Sports and Recreation Centre' that they do it with a sense of panache and elegance...

For example, they don't give it a name that fades into the void with all the delapidated gymnasiums around the country side, they call it the Health & Well Being Centre...

Secondly, in reference to the last point, they don't just design it for the benefit of students who is to play basketball and lift some weights, it becomes the home of a new age of education, to embody the children of with an idea of how to look after theirselves, be healthy and overall provide a space that simultaniously provides the sporting attributes of a gym with the very essence of a school for the benefit of teaching and education.

The design is absolutely splendid, sustainability is paramount -  for example the lights don't need to be turned on until after 6 pm at this time of the year.  The windows have sufficient shading to protect from harsh midday and western suns.

Suspension...vs. Bricks n Mortar

I really like the thought of the of this suspension of the Munich + Monteral envelope...

The Munich is with out a doubt one of my most favorite buildings in the world, but in this instance I feel its shape, design, aesthetic, efficiency, and suitability is brilliant.

I think the height and space that the Gym will have, this will sufficiently need such a design for the creation of a space that is suitable for the students and the general Torquay feel of landscape and built environment complimenting each other.

Sports + What do Sports do + Do Sports What + What?

After our meeting during the last week...

Tom, Chris and I created a framework for adjusting our proposed Master Plan,

and then allocating the assigned building for each one of us to do.

I advocated for the Sports and Recreational facility...

I find there is a fantastic opportunity for this facility to project a healthy image for the citizens of Torquay, provide the students with a fantastic building and to complement the landscape with a structure that is receptive, organic and sublimely aesthetic.

These images have the most relevance currently for where I intend on heading with this design and what I see this site could hold for the Sports and Recreational facility...

The Anahiem Ice Arena, in LA is the foremost example of what I think would like to use in terms of organic shape, clarity of material, expression of scale, and cleanliness of the desired of look.  All this for a Sports Stadium...I also would like to mention the approach of the underside of the building...it has an excellent aesthetic appeal.

The past and next Olympic Velodrome's have provided me with significant inspiration to produce an envelope that moves, has a certain sex appeal which lures you into the depths of the building...obviously to do with this with the appropriate amount of discretion so as not to blow the budget...but I think these images are my muse.

Richard Rogers - The Man of Master Plans

There is a lot to like about Richard Rogers - other than his somewhat famous spat with his former business partner and equally as famous master of High Tech Sir Norman Foster - but it is the simplicity of the interpretation of a masterplan that I really think is a main reason as to why Rogers wins so many works.

This is a fine example of his language when explaining the context for Kings Dock in Liverpool, England, simple and sublime.

Almada Eastern Riverside is a superb example of Roger' inate touch towards the explination of a master plan, clearity, conciseness, simplicity, ease of colour and coordination of composition equal a fine peice of work.

Buena Vista, has a lot to like about the presentation, the use of colour and arrows to produce a lot more than colour and arrows, they lable the directional movement without fuss, they create distinction between stationary static buildings the passive streets and roads surronding.

Rogers Sheffield City Master Plan combines the very first base points, or corner stones for a succesfull master plan and in the most indentifiable manner, with out order or fuss, simple colour and coordination of shapes that clearly explain the perception, that he is talking about Traffic and Neighbourhood Character / identities.

The Tate Bankside is another that identifies with Almada Eastern Riverside, although probably not one of his best, this still has alot to offer, but how can you beat Herzog & DeMouren at the moment...next time!!!

Viareggio Masterplan, this is a very cleaver way to symbolise the use of circles and the linkage between them, I like this alot, it doesn't even need a background of the city to define the locations, it is already explainitory through the composition.