Jury Verdict
Pee Wees is Troppo Architects at their best. It is a Darwin building: its site, design, materials and construction are all unmistakably part of the tropical north. It is not just a restaurant but a café, function centre and ‘mess’ for the growing army of recreational users at Pee Wee Point. A light, ephemeral structure which appears to float flimsily is actually anchored solidly with a concealed steel structure to resist cyclone conditions.
It features feathered cantilevering and Custom Orb zincalume, contrasting precise modern engineering with vernacular materials. The natural light available through the high southern clerestorey provides a bright interior ambience. Views to the sea and Fanny Bay are maximised, with a hierarchy of seating options from indoors to verandah, patio, lawn and shore.
It is an imaginative and beautiful design rooted in the traditions of the site and the Territory and representing both an excellent commercial solution and a sensitive interaction with the locale.
Environment Citation This restaurant is remarkable for its respect of and interaction with the historic site. Its placement, orientation, materials and climate strategies (within tropical cyclone restrictions) also demonstrate environmental responsibility. In straddling the concrete slabs on which previous sheds were built, it acknowledges the texture of the existing building and historic elements.
The only air conditioning is in the kitchen and the water is heated by solar methods with gas boosting. Lack of air conditioning in the public spaces is overcome by the openness of the building and the ceiling fans.
The project demonstrates passive cooling techniques for the tropics, including excellent cross-ventilation, shading, sheltering of walls and openings and use of heat-reflective materials.
This project deserves the Environment Citation for its simple approach to a difficult problem which is too often solved by closing off the interior from the natural environment.
It sets a benchmark for such buildings in the hot, humid tropics.
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