The ACMI Renewal project was undertaken with the vision of enhancing public spaces. This highly collaborative project was brought together by ACMI, BKK Architecture and Razorfish. The creative team, consisting of architects and designers, created the space to encourage visitors by using biophilic design principles, their design was inspired by nature. BKK Architecture and Razorfish selected Porta Contours timber lining board range to feature prominently through the interactive ACMI space.
The collaboration of multiple design teams was crucial to achieve the desired result - an aesthetically pleasing design but also a functional, low maintenance public space.
Razorfish's Joel Krieger speak about his collaborative experience, “When radically different ideas and people collide, wonderful things can happen. And they did between Razorfish and BKK during our work on the ACMI renewal.”
“While a project of this size and complexity requires many kinds of companies to work together — the visitor doesn’t see these individual pieces—they experience the whole. Physical, digital, architecture, story, light, sound, technology, services… these are all just elements of a larger unified experience.”* Mr Krieger said of his collaborative experience.
Porta Contours played a large part in the biophilic design, which can be seen prominently throughout the inviting and functional public space at ACMI. Part of the design strategy behind specifying Porta Contours was high quality product, aesthetics with a wide range of textured designs and ease of installation on this large scale project. The design teams were aware of time constraints as well as the grand scale of the project. Porta Contours timber lining boards feature tongue in groove, easy to install technology which allowed the specification decision to be unanimous.
Porta was selected for their reputation in the industry, for the high quality timbers that are certified as well as their wide range of supported trims and mouldings.
The design team specified Porta Contours timber lining boards in the Strata profile which is inspired by the play of shadows in crevices across the Macedon Ranges, home of the iconic Hanging Rock, in Central Victoria, amplifying the effect of natural warmth, texture and movement in interior spaces.
The strong lines of the Contours Strata profile are enhanced by its shadow gap - creating variation and interest. With its consistent tongue and groove joins, Strata can be used in conjunction with any other Contours profile to create a unique design.
Inspired by the Australian inspiration of the Contours range, the Strata profile was carefully selected to reference the Australian landscape, particularly the local profile of central Victoria. Strata in the Porta Contours range adds texture and movement to the space.
The collaborative design teams decided to leave the timber natural to enhance the concept of biophilic design and the connection to nature bringing the outdoors in.
The Porta Contours timber lining board range has proven to be successful in this project and will be considered for larger scale projects in the future by design teams at BKK Architecture and Razorfish.
With the notion of biophilic design as one of the key drivers, the combination of high quality certified timber, with mix and match designs that are easy to install, have the tick of approval across the creative teams at BKK Architecture and Razorfish.
Porta Contours features prominently throughout the ACMI, interactive public spaces that encourage learning, creativity and collaboration.
Porta Contours is perfect for your next project – whether it is large or small scale, there is a Contours profile to suit.
Design: BKK Architecture with collaboration with Razorfish & Schuler Shook
Photographer: Shannon McGrath
*Source ACMI BKK Architecture
