Lecturer’s design emerges from the shadows to win award
A design project by a lecturer from Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Architecture has won an award at the 2015 NZ Wood Resene Timber Design Awards.
Senior lecturer Mark Southcombe won the Exterior Innovation and Infrastructure Award for his entry, Depth of Shadow Sunscreens.
Mark designed a sun screen that replicates the effect of sunlight breaking through a tree canopy. “The design was motivated by observations regarding the relative lack of variation and depth of shade and shadow quality from typical architectural pergolas,” says Mark.
“This type of sun screen provides a variety of shade qualities at different times of the day and year which are aesthetically varied,” says Mark.
The screens are constructed from (almost) entirely sustainably sourced materials.
“The project began as a case study about design-led research processes back in January 2009. After years of research, numerous prototypes, an exhibition, and a publication in a book, we finally put it to the test as a full scale installation on the terrace of a Wellington apartment block,” says Mark.
A range of sun screen sheet products are currently under development in collaboration with local company Makers of Architecture and will be available on an advance order basis, and will be locally manufactured and produced.