Wenona School, Archimedes Facility

This Wenona School facility in North Sydney is a multi-disciplinary space designed for students to partake in specific science, sporting and group activities. This design invited an amazing and varied use of structural glass and glazing, which posed interesting challenges for window installer and fabricator, Arch System Fabrication.

The Wenona School facility in North Sydney is a multi-disciplinary space designed for students to partake in specific science, sporting and group activities.

This precinct contains the Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) teaching hub and sports facilities including a learn to swim pool. It also contains additional learning spaces and staff facilities.

This design invited an amazing and varied use of structural glass and glazing, which posed interesting challenges for window installer and fabricator, Arch System Fabrication.

They used a range of different framing products, supported with Viridian Glass, to meet varying structural and design considerations for the glazing elements of the project.

These challenges included heavy duty structural subframes, triple glazing in the skylights, structurally glazed glass fins. There were also 20 different types of glass required from the façade engineer to support the design. Such a massive task for the installation team!

Craig from Arch System Fabrication said,

“One of the most challenging areas was the custom extruded structural alloy, 170mm wide x 125mm deep, and 10mm thick sub-heads and jambs faceting and sloping at the head and sill (sometimes at different degrees down and around structural concrete beams), raised garden beds were also at the sill. Due to the weight of these extrusions they were lifted into place with Genie lifts to absorb the deflection of the structure. These subheads were calculated by TTW engineers to absorb the excessive deflection in the uniquely designed suspended concrete structure. This was just one of the many challenging tasks our team faced.”

There are also irregular and curved frames within the design, which required specific structural supports and installation work. Read more about the varying requirements and framing products used by taking a look at the Arch System Fabrication case study here.

The multi-faceted requirements of the design resulted in a unique learning space which enables connection, open space, group learning, natural light and comfort. TZG Architects describes their design intent in their project description as below:

“The building is organised around a five-level open space, a dramatic amphitheatre that becomes not just a place for circulation, but a place where the engaged spirit of education is celebrated, a place where the student body can collect, where small groups can meet. It brings daylight throughout the six levels of the building and forms the first stage of a new spine to connect this complex school campus.”
Source: Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects: Wenona School Pool STEM & Building

This is fantastic example of how clever design, pristine installation and high-performance glass products combine to create a truly unique space which will create educational magic for students now and in generations to come.