62 | Smith Architects T T Kim Newth Timber showcased in winning design T T to page 64 ARCHITECTURE Smith Architects’ inspired design for Auckland’s St Kentigern Preschool evolved not only from the project brief and a spectacularly beautiful location but also from an appreciation for early Christian architectural forms. Rather strikingly, the new preschool building is circular in shape – echoing early ecclesiastical rotundas – to enclose a central playground area. The design is infused by symbolism referencing the four miracles of Saint Kentigern, with four classrooms inside and the playground split into four quarters by four dry stream beds, forming a cross shape. While there is nothing new about combining clerestory windows with sloping mono-pitch roofing, seeing this applied in a simple yet profound circular form is remarkable. “We have experimented with similar forms over the years and this latest design is a progression of that,” explains Phil Smith, founder and director of Smith Architects. “We have taken the learnings from past projects to apply them here.” Smith Architects has an impressive track record in sustainable design and has completed more than 100 early childhood centre designs in four different countries, winning multiple international and national awards. St Kentigern Preschool, built by Aspec Construction, can now be added to that award winning list, having won two Best Design gold awards in Healthcare & Wellbeing, and Private, Public and Institutional Spaces. This project also saw Smith Architects receive a highly commended award at the 2023 Timber Design Awards for commercial and public building design. Timber is used very prominently in St Kentigern Preschool. Exposed cantilevered glulam beams, laid out in a circular grid, are a dominant feature of the building. The beams form a canopy all around the building, simultaneously providing shelter from the elements and connection between classrooms and playground. A simple plywood layer above the beams, topped with zinc roofing, is exposed underneath, bringing added visual warmth to the interior. Red cedar wall cladding further reinforces the building’s natural timber palette. “We have experimented with similar forms over the years and this latest design is a progression of that. We have taken the learnings from past projects to apply them here.” WWW.PHOENIXNZ.CO.NZ NSINFO PHOENIXNZ.CO.NZ SHOWROOM 78 ELLICE RD, WAIRAU VALLEY (09) 477 4090 SUPPLIERS OF ALUMINIUM JOINERY • Commercial • Architectural • Residential
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=