Nelson Tasman Civil Def

Richmond, Tasman Photos: John-Paul Pochin Project Architect: Brendon Monk This commercial building was to house the Nelson Tasman Civil Defence as a ground floor tenant, therefore the building was designed to importance level 4 with a complete civil defence fitout package. The building is essentially a concrete ground floor bunker with a steel structured upper floor. Economical materials and overall shape balance the extra cost of designing to importance level 4. The challenge therefore was to make a simple box look aesthetically pleasing and totally functional. A simple sloping roof with no internal gutters wraps down to form a metal shell over the building. Laminated timber fins are used for visual interests and shading, while also doubling as a screen to hide external air con units. This project was designed by Brendon during his time at Arthouse Architecture.