Solid protection - Metal Design Services was Auckland Art Gallery's roofing supplier and contractor

Just as with every other aspect of the design of the new Auckland Art Gallery, the roof had to meet extremely high standards for aesthetics and functionality.

A standing-seam preweathered zinc roof with a perimeter zinc nosing feature and internal zinc guttering met the design objectives for the building, and the team of traditional craftspeople at Metal Design Solutions (MDS) was given the brief to bring the design to life, both visually and functionally.

MDS director Jan Alberts says some 20 tonnes of zinc was installed on the roof alone. Zinc, an aesthetically pleasing traditional material, was chosen for its qualities of long-term performance and durability. For this large civic project, it was particularly suitable as it complements the location and the pre-existing heritage architecture, and presents the additional advantage of being an environmentally friendly product.

"Our first objective was to achieve an understanding of how the roof and gutter system was going to work; then we had to manage the builder and adjacent trades to meet the time restraints placed by the construction programme," Alberts says.

"However, the greatest challenge was to make the design work functionally and still look good. What's more, the project presented particular multitrade programming challenges that required very close liaison with the builder."

METAL DESIGN SOLUTIONS

PO Box 33, Drury, AucklandPhone (09) 640 0009 Fax (09) 268 6968www.metaldesignsolutions.co.nz info@metaldesignsolutions.co.nz

Story by: Trendsideas