The Village Lighthouse Takes Out COLORBOND® Steel Award

The Village Lighthouse, at Metung in Gippsland, Victoria, has won the COLORBOND® steel Award for the Most Effective Use of Steel. The judges deemed the project worthy of this award because of its imaginative and effective use of steel as a feature cladding as well as for curved roofing.

News Item: 7 October 2004

The award was presented to JJC Design by Andrew Kiloni of BlueScope Steel, at the Building Designers Association of Victoria's (BDAV) annual Building Design Awards, at a gala presentation event at Park Hyatt Melbourne on Friday, 10 September 2004.

Chairman of the judging panel and BDAV President, Mr Geoff Hoare, said "the project features steelwork to its greatest effect within the facade and the roof form. The resultant design is dynamic and interesting in its application of the material."

Throughout the complex COLORBOND® steel for Roofing in the colour Shale Grey™ and COLORBOND® steel for Walling in the colour Deep Ocean® were used, while the curved lighthouse was made from COLORBOND® steel in the colour Surfmist®.

The principal designer, James Couper, of JJC Design, said "the developer/builder's brief was different to most multi-dwelling sites, in that he didn't want to clutter the site with the maximum number of dwellings, but to provide an atmosphere of spaciousness."

"The finished project provides an ambience that is rarely seen in multi-unit developments. By offering a spacious uncluttered design, while providing a nautical setting that complements its surroundings, we have created a project of which we and the builder/developer are immensely proud," added Couper.

The Village Lighthouse, at Metung, comprises six holiday apartments, four of which are two storey dwellings, two are single storey. All have water views and large balconies to provide outdoor dining, taking advantage of the south easterly views. Boat trailer parking has been made available for three of the dwellings also.

During the initial concept stage for the development Couper searched for a product that could be used to encase the spiral stair case, and believed that COLORBOND® steel was the obvious choice.

"We adopted curved COLORBOND® steel, LYSAGHT CUSTOM ORB® sheeting in Surfmist® and soon realised that the shape created by the sheeting held more potential than just an external cladding, but as a strong architectural feature. Hence we expanded the stairwell to form a lighthouse profile, which would not only create an access space, but a light well for the kitchen area, not to mention creating the identifying feature of the site."

Couper adds that "we then decided on a curved roof made from COLORBOND® steel to symbolize gentle rolling waves, and if you stand on the street on the southern side of the property, the roofs of the upper apartments look as if they join the lower ones, as if cascading down the hillside."

COLORBOND® steel was used to help reduce maintenance cost in the future also. Easily maintained, it is suggested that areas not exposed to rain should be hosed or wiped down regularly. Roofing made from COLORBOND® steel is a thermally efficient choice also. With a low thermal mass, steel roofing cools down quickly at night, helping to improve comfort within the home and assisting in the reduction of cooling costs.