New Plymouth Girls' High School, with its strong heritage and commitment to academic excellence, recently undertook a significant refurbishment of their school hall, Hōro Kura. The school, known for fostering confident and outstanding young women, faced a long-standing issue with heat gain in the hall's foyer. This refurbishment presented an ideal opportunity to address the heat gain issues and to reduce heat loss in winter while updating the hall's aesthetic and functional qualities.

The designer's vision

Brian Lee, from Boon Architects, has been involved with the school's infrastructure over the years, implementing improvements as budgets allowed. This time, the focus was on replacing the cladding and the north facing single glazed front façade, which provided the opportunity to upgrade insulation and to address heat gain in the building’s foyer. Brian Lee's history with the school and his understanding of its needs were crucial in selecting the right materials for the job.

Innovative solution with SunX Grey Glass

The key element in this refurbishment was the installation of SunX Grey glass, chosen for its superior performance properties. Unlike traditional tints embedded in the body of the glass, SunX Grey features a special extra-thin Low E coating which holds the tint, that displays a consistent appearance, regardless of the glass substrate thickness. This innovative design ensures high solar control while allowing ample natural light to penetrate, even with thicker glass. This solution effectively mitigates the temperature extremes previously experienced in the hall’s foyer, enhancing comfort for both summer and winter conditions.

Brian Lee remarked on the selection, highlighting that “SunX Grey glass was the ideal solution due to its high performance and ability to provide good light transmission, while maintaining temperature control. It offered superior benefits for the investment, making it a budget-conscious choice that didn’t compromise on quality.

In this case, as a refurbishment, the project didn't require compliance with the new standards under H1/AS2, but SunX Grey is designed to make H1 compliance easier when you have an overheating risk.

Benefits and impact

The refurbishment has not only improved the thermal comfort within the foyer of the Hōro Kura but also aligned with the school’s vision of creating a supportive and conducive learning environment. Moreover, the improved insulation and high-performance glass contribute to the school’s sustainability goals by reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling, thereby lowering energy consumption and operational costs.

Conclusion

The refurbishment of Hōro Kura at New Plymouth Girls' High School is a testament to thoughtful architectural planning and the use of innovative materials. Brian Lee and Boon Architects have successfully transformed the hall into a more comfortable, energy-efficient, and aesthetically pleasing space, reflecting the school’s commitment to providing an excellent learning environment. This case study exemplifies how strategic material selection, and a deep understanding of the client’s needs can lead to impactful, long-lasting improvements in educational facilities.