Designing Schools for Extreme Climates
Introduction to Topic – This topic was selected by the conference organisers partly in
response to the location of this week’s conference – Australia’s tropical North. The
preconception of the tropics in most people’s minds is one of extreme heat and
humidity, heavy rain, thunderstorms and the occasional cyclone. Although the
glorious rain and thunderstorms are a striking feature of our climate, as is the
occasional not-so-glorious cyclone, it is actually difficult to describe our
temperatures, and possibly even our humidity, as ‘extreme’ in a national context. For
this reason, I want to direct this discussion as much toward ‘extreme expectations of
dealing with climate’ as to ‘extreme climate’ itself – and this in the context of
sustainability and energy efficiency.
But first, introductions - we are a panel of Territory architects drawn from the local
chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects, each with significant experience
designing for the Territory – including schools in both the tropics and the central
desert region.
Introduce Panel Members
1
2
3
4
5
Climate background
Humid tropics – Although there are subtle variations that lead to the description of a
greater number of seasons (for example with the indigenous folk at Kakadu describing
six distinct seasons) for this session we will be satisfied with just two - the ‘wet’ and
‘dry’. These seasons are generally caused by the north / south movement of a belt of
low pressure systems on an annual cycle – when the systems lie north of the coast,
mid year, predominant winds are offshore (dry) southeasterlies, so we experience our
‘dry season’. Temperatures range from minima in the mid-teens to the low 20’s, to
maxima typically in the low 30’s. Humidity is low and rain is uncommon.
When the low pressure belt moves south of the coast during the southern summer, the
winds become onshore northwesterlies, bringing higher humidity, thunderstorms and
occasional cyclonic activity. Temperatures don’t rise much in respect to the daily
maximum (staying in the low to mid 30’s), but the overnight minima increase to be
more typically in the mid 20’s. Rain is frequent and often heavy, most usually being
associated with storm cells.
We think 35deg is stinking hot, and 15deg is freezing, so compared with even
Melbourne, where the maximum sometimes reaches 45deg and the minimum goes
below zero, our temperatures are hardly extreme. Of course the range does increase
further from the coast. In the wet season, the increased humidity makes life less
comfortable and it is this time of year that some have described as ‘extreme’.
Design for Cyclones
General principles
Cyclone Shelters – public use and access, cyclone shelter / sports facilities
inconsistencies w.r.t. passive design,
Roof drainage and stormwater collection
Aversion to flat roofs, certainly internal box gutters, but gutters generally
Normal design principles
Orientation to sun, sunshading of windows
Orientation to prevailing breezes
Insulation / Thermal mass
Passive Design / Energy Efficiency / Expectations
Modern History of NT Schools design
Darwin Primary School
Stuart Park / Parap / Larrakeyah / Alawa / Millner
Late 60’s / Early 70’s – Precyclone fully A/C Moil, Jingili, Berrimah, Wagaman etc
Post Cyclone Anula / Wulagi etc
Current Template – Palmerston Schools etc
‘Post Modern’
Ross Connolly
Ross arrived in Darwin as a graduate architect employed by the Commonwealth
Department of Housing and Construction in 1975, exactly 12 months after Cyclone
Tracy. His first task was to arrange reconstruction and upgrading of a number of
Darwin pre- and primary schools. Other than a period back in Perth from 1984 to
1988, he has lived and worked in the Territory ever since.
Ross took up private practice in 1988, and since 1997 has been a director of MKEA
Architects, a practice with a strong portfolio in government and private education
facilities across the Territory. He is the President of the NT Chapter of the Australian
Institute of Architects