EDMUND BARTON BUILDING REFURBISHMENT
HBO+EMTB
CATEGORY: COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE
Following an invited design competition, HBO+EMTB was selected to prepare the master plan for the refurbishment of Harry Seidler’s Edmund Barton Building on Kings Avenue, Barton in Canberra. A light handed approach was under taken to the refurbishment, stripping back the internal spaces to improve efficiency and way finding, and replacing old systems with more efficient and sustainable technologies. The design also introduces a number of new elements (café’, fitness club and childcare facilities) that aim to restore Seidler’s original civic vision for a series of vibrant public spaces at ground level. The refurbishment provides a base building that achieves a 5 Star Green Star Rating. Critical to the success of the refurbishment is the increase in legibility for both tenants and visitors. The refurbishment of the ground level foyers and lift lobbies will aid movement towards and through the building, using subtle colour and material cues to guide visitors while maintaining the integrity and clarity of the original building. As part of the refurbishment, there was the responsibility for securing the perimeter of the Edmund Barton Building for the incoming client, the Australian Federal Police. This included the provision of fixed and operable vehicle and personnel barriers sensitively inserted into a heritage context to resist defined threats as briefed by the client.
PROJECT TEAM
Architect/Practice: HBO+EMTB
Practice Team: Andrew Wilson (Director), Robert Thorne (Design Director), Cassandra Keller (Project Architect), Alastair Falconer, Erin Hinton, Sophie Blaine, Lyndall Emmanuel
Consultant Team: TTW (Civil & Structural Engineer), EMA & Associates (DDA Consultant), Xact Project Consultants (Project Manager)
Photographer: Ben Wrigley
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