Jury citation
Although lengthy in name, University of Queensland Cricket Club Maintenance Shed is solid and determined in stature. Together, Lineburg Wang and Steve Hunt Architect have demo-nstrated ingenuity in detail as a means of uncovering budgetary efficiencies. The building houses a storage shed with a makeshift office and changeroom facilities; a landscaped buffer breaks up these public and private zones.
The need to cut costs as a result of rising construction prices and material supply constraints meant that the architects had to rework the original design, removing structural steel and using concrete block piers instead. The shed is ornamented by the reimagined possibilities of the humble masonry block. The outcome is a pavilion that sits proudly in the landscape, situating itself as a beacon for the local university and cricket community.
One of the hallmarks of good design is the ability to take a rudimentary material and achieve texture, embellishment, detail and structure, all in one. This shed is a wonderful example of this dexterity, displayed in a delightful way.
University of Queensland Cricket Club Maintenance Shed is located in St Lucia, Queensland, on Turrbal and Jagera Country, and will be reviewed in a future issue of Architecture Australia.
Project credits
Architect: Lineburg Wang with Steve Hunt Architect; Project team: Michael Lineburg, Lynn Wang, Steve Hunt, Chris Kotmel; Builder: Xenia Constructions; Structural engineer: Ingineered; Hydraulic consultant Neil Blair and Associates; Blocklayer: Armstrong Bricklaying.
