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ImagInk Printed Glass: Busselton Civic & Administration Centre
Local history of the Geographe region is showcased on a 289sqm façade featuring ImagInk Digital Printing for the new Busselton Civic and Administration Centre. The facade design focuses on energy efficiency incorporating InsulCool Double Glazing and innovative use of materials reflecting the new identity of the city.
BGC undertook project construction, with Jones Coulter Young and MCG Architects appointed to lead the design. The facility won awards for Excellence in Building Practice; Best Commercial Industrial Alterations and Additions Over $10M; and 2018 South West Bankwest Best Regional Project.
One of the key aims was to create an innovative facility based around energy saving principles. Cooling Brothers supplied InsulCool Double Glazed Units in Energytech Green for the ImagInk printed façade glass, which not only played an integral role in achieving the buildings energy requirements, but was an ideal way to convey the story of the city.
Cooling Brothers was approached by MCG Architects to assist in depicting four images with important links to the rich history of the region. Meredith Dixon from the City of Busselton describes.
Considerable testing and sampling was undertaken due to the varied image quality and resolution, with high levels of film grain within archival photography requiring extensive editing to avoid diminishing image quality.
Ceramic printed images showcase rich historical links
Meredith Dixon from the City of Busselton describes: “The four images are feature artworks in their own right. The images include a photo taken of the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and the original Busselton Train Station. Both these images were taken well over a hundred years ago. A third image, that of the Busselton Jetty, is a reproduction of one of the earliest known photographs of the jetty. The fourth photo which was taken in the 1960s was sourced from a community member. It depicts young surfies driving up Yallingup Hill with boards in the back of their car.
‘Inside the building, many images of local landscapes have been reproduced on office walls and doors. Perhaps most stunning is the Christian Fletcher photograph of the iconic Busselton Jetty which has been reproduced as a feature wall at the City’s customer service centre. This image is a magnificent entry statement for visitors to the building.’
Initially it was uncertain as to how successfully the low quality historical images would translate to the large facades, the biggest being over 170sqm. Several images supplied were only available at 7dpi when re-sampled to full size. However with a long viewing distance, a clear dot pattern was integrated through the images allowing light to pass through the glass for the occupants, while retaining clarity of the images at street level.
Lloyd Pringle, Senior Architect at MCG describes that a film was initially considered to showcase the imagery, however ImagInk became the ideal solution due to the durabilty of the ceramic inks with a25 year warranty, and the shading factor provided to the internal spaces.
EnergyTech Green was selected as a key colour preference to match the coastal waters of the region, while also contributing to better building envelope performance.
“These ceramic window images have drawn universal positive response from everyone, from Councillors to general public. People can relate to these images and they feel these personalise the building and make it unique to their area…we are very impressed with the outcome as it adds a fantastic visual texture to the very modern facades.”
LLOYD PRINGLE
MCG Architects
