Verosol motorised roller blinds were specified for the new Central Courtyard Building on the Macquarie University campus to meet the design intent and help create a place where lessons are learnt and friendships forged.

The building

Completed in 2021, Macquarie University 1 Central Courtyard Building replaces a pre-existing building that was home to mainly retail space, food and beverage outlets, and student social facilities. Located centrally, adjacent to the Central Courtyard, the old building was viewed as very much the heart and soul of the university – a place where friendships were forged and plans were set in place.

The new building, designed by local firm Architectus, takes that original spirit and adds to it. Apart from 17 new retail outlets, a student bar, and terraces – which overlook the Central Courtyard on one side, and Macquarie Lake and native bushland on the other – the Central Courtyard Building also includes 26 teaching rooms (all with open, mobile layouts), breakout study areas, two interactive makerspaces, and a new Graduation Hall.

The requirement

Unlike the building it replaces, which like most of the University’s older buildings was designed in the Brutalist style, the new facility gestures more towards the contemporary. While it does reference those older buildings, it also connects more closely with the courtyard, the bush and the general environment. Light, life, and openness are now the order of the day.

When choosing shading systems to help make this possible and moderate this abundance of light, the architects looked no further than Verosol, a well-established manufacturer and supplier of high-end shading systems and performance fabrics.

The solution

The Verosol products included in the project were Ambience motorised roller blinds with the 802 SilverScreen Enviro fabric. Part of the company’s signature SilverScreen range, these products boast industry-leading solar reflection capabilities. The fabric is cradle-to-cradle certified and holds GreenRate Level A certification from Global Green Tag.

Thanks to their unique composition, created via a process of applying a microscopic layer of aluminium to textile, 802 SilverScreen Enviro provides great vision through to the outside and reflects 74% of solar radiation. In the Central Courtyard Building, they keep all the spaces comfortable while contributing to the building’s overall thermal efficiency.

Project details

Project: Macquarie University Central Courtyard Building

Location: Macquarie Park, NSW Australia

Architect: Architectus

Builder: FDC

Window Coverings:

Ambience Motorised Roller Blinds
Motorised Blind Automation – Somfy Motors and Cannex Control Equipment
Integration with BMS to automatically raise and lower according to shadow management data

Featured Fabrics:

802 SilverScreen Enviro
205 SilverScreen Performance
890 SilverScreen Originals

Awards:

Design Competition Winner

Architecture & Design Team

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Verosol Australia

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