A palette of Vulcan timbers lends a sense of cohesion to this food research and development facility’s three interconnected hubs, which service Commercial Innovation, Research, and Food Production.
The collective Food Innovation Precinct’s overall look and feel is designed to reference rural and agricultural structures.
To deliver this look while still maintaining the essence of a modern scientific facility, exposed steel framing and bracing is juxtaposed against warm Protector – Straw tones and black stained Vulcan timber cladding, accented with Vulcan Screening in Protector - Manuka.
This is furthered through Vulcan soffits and fins, which are used to create a textural, linear look, with a faceted entrance way and peaked shapes that allude to the gabled forms of barns. The building’s playful forms create moments where students, researchers and producers can break out and interact both indoors and on sheltered decks. These also serve as connection points, extending into the spaces between neighbouring buildings.
For a facility that promotes self-sufficiency for the state, the low environmental impact of products and materials was an important consideration. For this reason, the carbon negative status of Vulcan was key to its specification, with each square metre of 20mm thick Vulcan storing 9.74kg of carbon.
Read more about this project here.
