Sustainable Design Awards: the architect on Mull Theatre

Online public voting in the first Argyll Sustainable Design Awards 2009 closes this Friday – 27th November.

In the run up to this, we are featuring each day a focus on the architect responsible for each of nthe four finalists in a category that has attracted a great deal of attention and votes – the ‘New-build non-residential category’ – the public buildings.

The architects of each of the four finalists have been asked the same questions on the project and on their work. Today the focus is on Moray Royles from City Architecture, architects for the Mull Theatre project.

What was the most challenging thing about the brief for this building?

Delivering a theatre production centre that met the client’s requirements, for the funds that were available to do this. This required considerable teamwork and a thorough exploration of ideas, materials and costs to maximise what could be achieved. (One of the jobs that’s part of designing a building and presenting the design – the image below is a montage created  by the architect. Interesting to compare it with the the finished building above.)

What excited you about it?

Working for a dynamic organisation that is nationally acclaimed and based on Mull. Designing environmentally conscious new facilities. Resolving how to economically build a relatively large structure on the island of Mull. Future-proofing the design to allow for phased expansion and adaptation. Building in a woodland setting with superb views.

These are good examples of how a design evolves and what future proofing it can build in. Left is the competition drawing submitted by City Architecture. Centre is a developed version drawing, Right is a woden maquette, or mode – another of the states in design development. The ‘extendability’ of Mull Theatre referred to by Murray Royles in this article relates to the wrap around sections hat can be seen in these concept images and which are not part of the building in its current phase.

What did you want people to feel as they used the building?

That they are happy, comfortable, connected with the landscape around them, working in a naturally lit high quality environment, that it is accessible and positively projects cultural activity from the shores of Mull.

What did you want passers by to feel about the building?

That it is a seemingly familiar rural industrial form yet built in an unexpected way – for people to be fascinated by what may happen on the inside: this is the essence of the theatre production centre – to transform perceptions.

Above is an artist’s impression of the way one of the wrap around sections – which could be added to the building – would work in practice.

What do you see as the key sustainable materials you used?

• The large timber frame structure
• The profiled fibrous cladding
• The cedar window reveals

What sustainable or energy saving features were you able to include in the building?

• Super-insulating and tightly sealing the building perimeter
• Installing exhaust air ventilation & air source heat recovery pumps linked to underfloor heating
• Installing a sewage treatment plant that discharges clean water

What do you see as the most significant materials introduced into building practice within the last decade – and why?

Materials that can improve the energy efficiency buildings and reduce energy demands will continue to have the most significant impact on building practice. This is because of the need to minimise energy/ fuel consumption over their lifetime.

Above, left and right, shots of the interior and exterior of the engrance lobby sandwich the rehearsal space.

What do you see as the most significant operating systems introduced into buildings in the last decade – and why?

Environmental strategies (both active and passive) to manage a building’s energy demands will help to make them operate efficiently and minimise running costs. For example active controls include movement-activated low energy lighting, mechanical ventilation & heat recovery and external & internal temperature sensors linked to the heating systems. Passive controls include good levels of natural daylight, orientation to harness solar gain and a well sealed perimeter

With public buildings like this one – what sort of preparatory work do you do on work-flows or usage-flows or people-flows?

The business of creating touring theatre productions is carefully planned to suit the logistics of staging in diverse venues across Argyll & Bute. The work & usage flows are therefore paramount for the production centre to be functional. We compiled all the critical data for maximum heights & widths for stages, access, vehicles, power & communications. In addition, the National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) was consulted to establish their requirements for productions space. The rehearsal auditorium was analysed to demonstrate that it could safely allow the egress of 150 people.

Above are two sections drawn of the theatre space, the heart of the project.

How did the results of this impact on your design for this particular building?

The data for touring & NTS productions helped to determine the size and clear height of the stage. It informed how much workshop space and changing room capacity was required and how large the auditorium would need to be to suit 100 seats. The outcome is space in which the whole company can work with confidence to rehearse, test sets & staging prior to a show going on tour. The workshop & rehearsal spaces are appropriately equipped and are endorsed by NTS for rehearsing their productions. It brings actors, production staff and facilities together under one roof which means that the company can produce all its work on Mull.

What, for you, is the single most important thing about any building that people live, work and relax in?

That it should have a sense of place.

Above are some more evolution drawings, none exactly what has been done, although the left hand drawing is the nearest; and the other two showing the concept of extendability that has been designed into the building. The basic structures of the left hand drawing (and largely what is now present) can be seen in the developed drawing showing future options.

In terms of public buildings designed by other architects anywhere in the word – which is your personal favourite and why?

The Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh by Benson & Forsyth, 1999. It is a world class contemporary building that makes multiple references to its Scottish context. Materials are carefully selected – from the white concrete core to its Clashach sandstone cladding. It is an exceptionally rich composition of solid and void. From the broch-like entrance tower, visitors are drawn into fantastically contrasting interior spaces ranging from huge light-filled atria to intimate exhibit-specific galleries that appear carved from the massive walls. The exhibitions are arranged with Scotland’s pre-history and early cultures in the lowest levels rising up to the recent industrial past in the upper galleries. Scotland of the present is the final exhibit in a panoramic sweep of the city visible from the public roof terrace.

What sort of public building would you love to design?

One that resonates with the place it is located, that is robust, well used and loved by staff & visitors alike.

If you could choose a specific type of public building (in terms of what it would be for) that you feel would make a real difference to life in Argyll, what would it be and where would you like to put it?

That place is Oban and the public building is the urban centre in general. The Oban Action Plan sets out a guide for this and I would relish the opportunity to create projects that enhance this public realm – re-uniting the town with its sea front and unifying the streetscape to celebrate Oban’s unique setting and its role as a gateway to the Western Highlands and Islands. There are various possibilities from the South Pier/ Railway Pier; George Street/ North Pier; Esplanade; Oban Bay.

Above left is a computer generated drawing of the extension possibilities of the new Mull Theatre. On the right is history, origins, romance and nostalgia – the former Mull Theatre at Dervaig.

Public online VOTING closes on Friday 27th November

To refresh your memory on features already published on this innovative Awards scheme and find other stories related to sustainable design: click on our Sustainable Design archive.

When you’re ready, this is where you click to vote - and we’ll keep this link available every day in each article we publish on this exciting initiative – until 27th November, the end of the public voting period.

Voting rules are:

• You don’t have to live in Argyll to vote.
• You may vote only once for one individual entry in any one category.
• You may vote in each category.

The categories you vote in are:

• Small scale residential (can be up to 5 units but this year all entries are single private houses)
• Large scale residential (normally public sector housing as this year)
• New-build non-residential (essentially public buildings of various kinds – and the category whose finalists we are featuring each day from now until – and including – Friday)

A panel of industry experts will decide on the winners in each category of the judged Sustainable Design Awards 2009. For Argyll will award a certificate to the winner in each category decided by the Public Vote. It will be interesting to see how the two results compare.

Get voting. You have until 5.00pm on Friday 27th November.

The additional photographs and drawings accompanying this article were provided by Moray Royles of City Architecture.