Up with the play Northland Table Tennis clubrooms designed by Ian Butt

After 10 years of looking for new premises, Sport Northland found the best solution right at hand above the existing table tennis clubrooms in Kensington Park, Whangarei.

Designer Ian Butt of Harris Butt Architecture says building the new offices above the clubrooms was the most sustainable alternative. It meant there was no need to reclaim any part of the green fields or the carpark.

"The new building was designed to straddle the existing structure," he says. "The legs of the portal frame are located outside the walls of the existing building with two rows of props through the centre of the ground floor space. This was a way to minimise the impact on the old building. There has also been a positive spin-off for the table tennis clubrooms the original roof that was removed had been in need of significant repair."

The new building not only provides offices and meeting rooms for Sport Northland, but also offices for a number of sporting groups in the region.

"To allow plenty of natural light into the interior, we added extensive glazing, with a row of clear sash windows set within the obscure glass," says Butt. "Having conventional opening windows means the space can be ventilated naturally. With glass walls on the interior, there is also a strong transparency, and a view from most offices right through to the outside. Decorative film on some walls provides privacy without sacrificing light."

Other special features of the new building include horizontal louvres on the exterior that help screen the sun on the north and west sides.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes