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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. New Shoots ECEC Greenhithe in Auckland, New Zealand by Copeland Associates ArchitectsJuly 26th, 2021 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Copeland Associates Architects Our client New Shoots saw an opportunity in a site which many others thought was unusable. Originally, the site was split into two areas by a stream and had become an abandoned and neglected wasteland that stored and collected motorway run-off. The site was overgrown and an eyesore in an otherwise attractive neighborhood. Our brief was to rejuvenate the site by creating a nature-centric design that interweaves environment and classroom, while achieving the client’s programmatic requirements and integrating sustainable practices.
 Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim
 Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim Designs that give a sense of calmness while inviting curiosity through a sensory experience have been proven to provide a powerful platform for growth and learning. These elements were at the forefront of the design approach and explored through materials, form, scale, and layout. Upon arrival children walk along an elevated timber bridge over the native plants and rejuvenated wetland and immediately experience a sense of adventure and exploration. Looking around sparks the imagination and fosters a feeling of leaving the everyday and entering a unique world.  Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim  Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim The pods are arranged to form a triangular courtyard. This play area is partially protected by a generous translucent veranda, providing diffused light over external links between pods. The roof forms elevate to the east, allowing the morning light to energise the childrens’ activity spaces. High-level electrically operated windows provide passive ventilation for natural airflow throughout the day. Rainwater is stored in detention tanks and re-used for flushing toilets and irrigation. Superstructures are an assembly of cross-laminated timber panels and steel frames; both systems were prefabricated off-site and quickly erected on site. Services are discretely organised within each building giving careful thought and consideration to respect the nature of the solid timber construction.  Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim  Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim Each of the three passively controlled pods has its own colour palette reflecting the world’s primary elements: Building A: Toddlers (age 2-3) & staff Nature: Green (Spanish Green and Cabbage Pont) Building B: Infants (age 0-2) Earth: Light Terracotta (Baroque and Sante Fe) Building C: Preschool (age 3-5) Water: Blue (Half Dusted Blue and Navada)  Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim  Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim Each building’s interior has a soft timber backdrop from the exposed structural cross-laminated timber panels. This adds another textural link connecting to the surrounding environment. Large sections of glazing enhance the site’s elevation, bringing the outside in, and creating a sense of being amongst the trees. There is a harmonised visual language between architecture, interiors and furniture. This creates a flow of design continuity and wayfinding within the centre. New Shoots themselves designed bespoke cabinetry to suit interior spaces and respective palettes, reinforcing this flow. We worked closely with lighting designers to conceive a lighting approach that creatively weaves throughout the spaces, giving soft, curvaceous elements to the orthogonal internal walls.  Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim  Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim  Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim  Image Courtesy © Kelvin Lim  Image Courtesy © Copeland Associates Architects  Image Courtesy © Copeland Associates Architects  Image Courtesy © Copeland Associates Architects  Image Courtesy © Copeland Associates Architects  Image Courtesy © Copeland Associates Architects  Image Courtesy © Copeland Associates Architects  Image Courtesy © Copeland Associates Architects  Image Courtesy © Copeland Associates Architects
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