Harrison School Paint Scheme?

HenryBG said :

GardeningGirl said :

I’m all for interesting inspiring architecture for schools and going by those pics I’m undecided about that one,

What’s to decide?

It’s bloody awful – in the same vein as the absolutely hideous (and not-fit-for-purpose) National Museum: designed to help fill some idiot architect’s portfolio and probably incapable of keeping the rain out just like the new library in Civic.

Hideous and not fit for purpose? What are you smoking? That building is fantastic. It’s a wonderful blend of whimsical and practical.

Gungahlin Al said :

BTW, the dark mini tomwers sticking up from the roof are thermal chimneys. They will get very hot in summer, creating a thermal syphon that draws a cooler air current through the building, thereby negating a/c need, coupled with high levels of insulation, shading and window improvements.

That is some frickin’ cool s*** for a school. I am glad to see that being sustainable is finally part of the design of public buildings. I oftem look at some building and wonder why they don’t run things like solar off the sides of them. Sky Plaza for example, having solar panels mounted on the top third of the Civic side of that building isn’t going to make it look any worse adn you could get a fair chunk of generation out of it.

The other thing that has had me wondering is rain water collection. I overlook Westfield Woden from my desk (and have the crack flats on the other side, so it makes for a great view [/sarcasm]) and have wondered if we could collect rainwater off it and store it to maintain green areas around Woden. I have also been researching micro-hydroelectric systems that can run in sewerage systems and how effective they are.

GardeningGirl said :

I’m all for interesting inspiring architecture for schools and going by those pics I’m undecided about that one,

What’s to decide?

It’s bloody awful – in the same vein as the absolutely hideous (and not-fit-for-purpose) National Museum: designed to help fill some idiot architect’s portfolio and probably incapable of keeping the rain out just like the new library in Civic.

Holden Caulfield said :

You’d be closer to developers than I’d ever care to be, but is it naive to think a developer actually cares about the quality of his product beyond the scope of dollars in pocket?

When (or if) the property market gets tougher for developers, hopefully it will matter. That development isn’t just bad, it’s like they’re flipping the bird at everyone who has to live in or around it. Did you know that the four bedroom units in there are spread out over three levels?! Also, I’m pretty sure that the only way you could turn into some of those garaging spaces is if you were on a bicycle. And one more thing, they haven’t even bothered to properly colour match the brown bricks!

Just goes to show how people differ. I dislike randomness and clashing colours (eg, hate the NMA), and therefore don’think much of the ‘look’ of Harrison school, Unlike Sammy, I think Chisholm High got it right – it has traditional clean lines yet is balanced. It also has the benefit of lovely greenery andshade trees, which helps. It will probably be a while before Harrison is softened by greenery, but only time will tell (is there enough space for trees?).

ThisIsAName said :

Some intermediate form between drab grey/brown and garish would be better. I’m a bit surprised the developer didn’t just hire a designer to make a simple scheme around some nice complementary colours. It’d help with overall attractiveness and the buildings wouldn’t date as quickly 🙂

+1

I’m all for interesting inspiring architecture for schools and going by those pics I’m undecided about that one, it’s not as bad as I was expecting, but why can’t kids be exposed to something that’s interesting without being playroom garish. I think it will date, just like the grey brick and the two-tone blonde have, only worse because it’s so unsubtle.

ThisIsAName said :

Gungahlin Al said :

Indeed. I go past the school twice a day and have never found myself questioning the colours.
Splashes of colour add so much.

Not even the green, orange and purple bits sort of nearish the yellow & orange stuff? 🙂

I spotted at least 12 different colours, not including the occasional tinted window.

Harrison Primary has used a number of colours throughout. Each building features tiled facade sections of a different colour (you can see them under the windows in these photos). It has been great as a parent to not have to remember the usual 3 or D block nomenclature and searching around for a hidden sign – we just use “the green building”.

A number of us on the High School Design Working Group would have preferred the new buildings to more closely mirror the skillion roof design of the Primary School. But there was a stronger driver in getting large expanses of roof at an optimum angle to allow them to one day host a large-scale solar farm, and thereby offset operational expenses.

The colour theming of individual buildings has been continued in the High School. It all looked fine in the 3D renderings and I think will look fine in reality once the additional visual noise of the hoardings has gone and the trees are in, just as the Primary School’s colour variety works fine.

BTW, the dark mini tomwers sticking up from the roof are thermal chimneys. They will get very hot in summer, creating a thermal syphon that draws a cooler air current through the building, thereby negating a/c need, coupled with high levels of insulation, shading and window improvements.

Gungahlin Al said :

…GCC lodged an objection to that one, and won some concessions, got internal communal open space included and unit numbers reduced. But the underlying low-bar design was beyond the realm of a development assessment. I believe in time the developer of that one will be personally embarrassed to see their development standing side by side with the substantially higher quality of the one immediately to the north. Chalkcheese…

You’d be closer to developers than I’d ever care to be, but is it naive to think a developer actually cares about the quality of his product beyond the scope of dollars in pocket?

Therefore as soon as the property is handed over, I can’t see the developer caring what the longer term critique of his building is (so long as the courts/insurance companies aren’t involved, haha).

Gungahlin Al said :

Indeed. I go past the school twice a day and have never found myself questioning the colours.
Splashes of colour add so much.

Not even the green, orange and purple bits sort of nearish the yellow & orange stuff? 🙂

I spotted at least 12 different colours, not including the occasional tinted window.

puggy said :

Gungahlin Al said :

…*some* of the apartments along Flemington Road.

I’ll say *some*. What’s the deal with the brown on brown new Ascot apartments on Flemington and Wells?! It’s either a little bit of Tatooine or Israeli settlements in Gungahlin, I can’t decide which.

Yes Puggy not pleased with those ones at all. Painting a rectangle of dark brown on the light brown background as a substitute for articulated frontages? Pathetic…

And the fact that every unit has tandem parking will make it all the more unattractive from from amenity perspective, plus add to the likelihood that resident cars will spill out onto surrounding streets, further affecting amenity for surrounding neighbours.

GCC lodged an objection to that one, and won some concessions, got internal communal open space included and unit numbers reduced. But the underlying low-bar design was beyond the realm of a development assessment. I believe in time the developer of that one will be personally embarrassed to see their development standing side by side with the substantially higher quality of the one immediately to the north. Chalkcheese.

For context, that design was done right when the GFC hit its height, and they weren’t the only ones who were unable to see more than two years into the future. The LDA were very keen to ensure a lowest-common-denominator option was allowed in the Flemington Rd corridor master plan ‘because otherwise the land wouldn’t sell’ given the GFC. Better to bank the land and wait two years then, we argued, than end up with a crappy product. They begged to differ…

Gungahlin Al said :

…*some* of the apartments along Flemington Road.

I’ll say *some*. What’s the deal with the brown on brown new Ascot apartments on Flemington and Wells?! It’s either a little bit of Tatooine or Israeli settlements in Gungahlin, I can’t decide which.

Looks great. I drive past Chisholm high school all the time and various people, including interstate visitors, have remarked that it looks a *lot* like a prison. I’m all for bright & creative design for schools.

“I am no interior designer by any stretch of the imagination,”

Given the location of the panels, are you saying you are an exterior designer?

I don’t mind the colours. I think they are appropriate for a school. I think the building design is a bit average, however.

I think the scheme is too busy/garish, a clash from an excessive mix of several bright colours. To my eye, the school doesn’t have the right aesthetic with surrounding urban area. Garish colour mixes seem to be the fashion for new community buildings in the area though.

Some intermediate form between drab grey/brown and garish would be better. I’m a bit surprised the developer didn’t just hire a designer to make a simple scheme around some nice complementary colours. It’d help with overall attractiveness and the buildings wouldn’t date as quickly 🙂

much less horrible than woden conberra college’s current colours…

qbngeek said :

Looks great. Looks like a fun place to be as opposed to brown brick buildings with no character which just make you indimidated and depressed.

I wish all school were repainted in this manner.

Indeed. I go past the school twice a day and have never found myself questioning the colours. I like a bit of life in my architecture. We have more than enough of gray, beige and coffee tones in Gungahlin like “old Canberra” has of red brick…

Harrison School, the gorgeous College and Library, *some* of the apartments along Flemington Road. Splashes of colour add so much.

Think Taylor Primary School in Kambah, AKA as Legoland.
At least everyone knew where it was!
Brightly coloured buildings are appropriate for primary schools, I like it.

Looks great. Looks like a fun place to be as opposed to brown brick buildings with no character which just make you indimidated and depressed.

I wish all school were repainted in this manner.

The bright colours seem appropriate for a school — moreso than the drab earth tones that most older Canberra schools are swathed in. Obviously not to everyone’s taste but I think it is nice to see playful and whimsical architecture used in context.

Its not terrible. Now. Give it ten years. Like the rest of Gungahlin.

Im sure the designers of Red Hill Primary thought it looked great when it was built. Theres plenty of examples of ‘modern’ design in Gungahlin that looks flash now but will date and just look crap in time. Fortunately the new college escaped relatively unscathed of the ‘modernist’ colour palette.

arb said :

Pics or it didn’t happen?

Or maybe at least a description of the colour scheme in question for those of us who don’t drive along Flemington Rd on a regular basis.

http://the-riotact.com/cold-snap-brings-the-double-rainbows/63436

Sunglasses are de rigueur.

Pics or it didn’t happen?

Or maybe at least a description of the colour scheme in question for those of us who don’t drive along Flemington Rd on a regular basis.