Warrnambool Campus, Southwest Institute of TAFE

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RESEARCH BACKGROUND: This project was for the design of a new arts department and administration offices for South West Institute of TAFE, Warrnambool campus. Lyons was also commissioned to provide a new 'front door' to the campus, a direct link to the existing buildings and to complete the landscaped courtyard precinct. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION: The project presented the idea of making form out of performance - literally 'form follows performance.' It explored the idea of creating a transparent wall with a self- shading form, with building circulation (including stairs) located within the clear street wall. The wall also incorporated informal student spaces, locating them on the street - in the space of the city. The visible circulation joined with the concept of a self-shading wall, which allowed the street facade to be both shaded and transparent. The project required an interplay between the building's functional purpose, its heritage setting and its role as an extension of the streetscape's civic space. The exterior is clad in zinc 'to negotiate the valleys and peaks' the structure's striking geometry. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: The project won the Regional Prize at the 2010 Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) Victorian Chapter Awards and it was published in the Thames and Hudson monograph More: the architecture of Lyons 1996-2011 (pp. 298-307). The AIA awards are the most prestigious in the design and construction industry in Australia, vital to public and peer recognition of outstanding contributions in the fields of architecture and the built environment. It received professional and peer reviews: 'Architectural' (17 Mar 2011) and Dezeen (July 2010) and 'ArchDaily' websites (19 Aug 2010).]