School Of Thought

The award-winning sports stadium at Scots School Albury is a celebration of fitness and education. Unlike the dingy, poorly ventilated gymnasiums we remember from our youth, the Scots School Gymnasium represents a new, environmentally-aware approach to the creation of welcoming, shared spaces.

Southern Cross Developers, the 2011 North East Regional Commercial Builder of the Year, was assigned the task of the build. Working with The Scots School Albury and architect Garry Hoddinett from NBRS+P Architects in Sydney, the brief was to build a multimillion-dollar, multipurpose sports stadium with storage rooms, canteen, office, toilet facilities, portico and foyer. The result garnered Southern Cross Developers the award for Best Commercial Project up to $10 Million. This modern and functional indoor centre has been built in harmony with the aesthetics of the surrounding school buildings.

Historic buildings situated beside the new construction dictated the style of the architecture on the south side. On the north side, where there were no design constraints, the design is even more striking and includes a cascading Colorbond metal deck. The exterior of the construction is predominately finished in Colorbond cladding, Exotec and brickwork. Internally, the finishes of the main hall include radiata ply, acoustic corrugated sheeting, acoustic ceiling tiles and a hardwood timber sports floor. To ensure a combination of excellent natural lighting and ventilation, glazing was used extensively throughout. Glazing on this level is highly unusual in a school gymnasium environment, so the expert team at DLG Aluminium & Glazing was called in to assist. With the help of their outstanding advice and AWS product range, the need for artificial lighting was also minimised, reducing energy load on the building during high-frequency usage times.

Carefully designed and positioned awning windows, and high and low banks throughout the external glazing allow excellent natural cross-flow ventilation for passive cooling – minimising requirements for HVAC. Energy-efficient Low E glass is used throughout the project. Internal doors and partitions are double glazed to deliver a dual benefit of improved thermal performance and sound dampening. Other high-quality products used include Elevate™ Aluminium Systems FrontGLAZE™ Framing (Series 606, Series 406), Elevate™ 50 Series Doors, Elevate™ Series 456 Awning Windows, Viridian ComfortPlus Glass used in IGUs and Single Glazed, Conel Electric Chain-winders, and Doric Manual Chain-winders. Adjustable louvres protect the interior from the sun, solar water heating has been installed, and a storm-water capture and re-use system ensures the most efficient use of water. Combining exceptional functionality with a stunning glazing aesthetic, this beautiful light-filled space is a unique and welcome addition to the school.