San Damiano College Wins the Think Brick Awards 2022 – Robin Dods Roof Tile Excellence Award
We are very proud to announce that our project San Damiano College, designed for Brisbane Catholic Education, won the Robin Dods Roof Tile Excellence Award at the national Think Brick Awards 2022!
We would like to thank the Industry for this recognition and Brisbane Catholic Education for the great partnership!
Congratulations are in order for our project team for their hard work and to all the other award winners!
Architects, Renee Bourke and Greg Mulheran, accepting the Think Brick Awards
Photos: Think Brick
SAN DAMIANO COLLEGE
The project is the first stage of the multi stage development of a new Catholic College in the emerging community of Yarrabilba, just south of Brisbane.
The design of San Damiano College creates a warm earthy aesthetic which contrasts to the surrounding grey tones of the wider new residential development.
The Stage 1 project, which consists of general and specialised learning spaces and significant landscape works, establishes the vision of the site as a sanctuary within the wider community.
You can read more about the full project master plan here.
Drawing on the college’s Franciscan Charism and Mission, the rich material palette features terracotta tiles as the dominant roofing material. These are arranged in two large tile blade roofs over the significant learning spaces, surrounded by low pitched steel roofs which are largely hidden from view.
The selection of terracotta roof tiles engenders a sense of time into an otherwise monotone material setting of grey steel roofing, at almost identical pitches and colours in the surrounding suburb. These two blades consist of a mix of three terracotta tile finishes, creating a rich depth of colour and with each finish playfully reflecting the light in varying ways. The tiles will age gracefully and as more of the central buildings to this campus are developed, the sense of place will be enhanced as a sanctuary from the somewhat monotonous surrounding architecture.
“A powerful gesture, with the roof being the absolute hero of this project, celebrated on a grand scale. The variation of coloured tiles creates texture through the surface, then, due to the roof’s vast scale, you get a beautiful gradation of light to dark. A powerful way to approach architecture.” – 2022 Jury.
Images: Scott Burrows