By JTB Architects
This large industrial building contains a production and fabrication area for metal roofing, windows and structural members, together with management offices with a sales area and showroom for the products. The factory was seen as an opportunity to showcase the work of Contour, and to reinforce their brand.
The design astutely provides a dynamic showcasing of the client's product in a way that is both visually compelling and sympathetic to the wider environment. It's strength is in the carefully detailed monolithic roof form that spans the building from south to north with roof windows for daylight, sunlight and ventilation. The curved ridgeline echoes the rolling hills that form a backdrop to the building and avoids the usual ridge flashing that characterises industrial sheds.
Influenced by artists such as George Seurat and Bridget Riley, as well as local artists, the roof colours provide a striking part of the design. The colours are drawn from the standard Contour colour range, using blues, greens and silver greys which are the naturally occurring colours of the surrounding sea, sky and mountains. The blended colour provides a shimmering pattern that alters according to prevailing lighting conditions, enabling the large building to sit comfortably within the setting.
Intended to be visually stimulating, the building provides an iconic presence at a principal gateway to Nelson.
JTB Architects is an award-winning NZIA Registered practice, founded in Nelson in 1986. We now work from studios in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Wānaka, on projects around New Zealand. We design beautiful contemporary buildings of all sizes and across a broad range of project types.
Design-led
We are a design-led practice which is committed to understanding and responding to our client’s needs with professionalism, energy and creativity. With each project we aim to find the optimum balance between sustainability, value and design quality, based on our client’s priorities. We design robust and durable buildings without compromising aesthetic quality.
Committed to sustainability
Innovation forms a central part of our approach in relation to materials technology and energy use. We are members of the New Zealand Green Building Council, and our business is also EKOS Zero Carbon for Business Operations.