Orokonui Ecosanctuary Visitor Centre

Practice
Architectural Ecology Ltd

Category
Sustainable Architecture

Location
New Zealand

Adopting the ambitious strategy of re-using shipping containers to support an over-sailing building form, the project succeeds in providing a sympathetic and powerful gateway for the Orokonui eco-sanctuary. The primary sustainability initiatives of passive solar design, rainwater harvest and adaptive re-use are handled with directness and support the broader educative purpose of the Visitor Centre. Expressive forms and details invite inquiry into this purpose, and there is some delight, too, in the little roofs over the containers. The function of the facility is celebrated by the architecture, which provides a commanding space overlooking the protected regenerating flora and oriented towards significant landforms.

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