Skipping-Girl Vinegar-Vats House and Architecture Studio by Adrian Light is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 Silver A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design Competition Category.
SilverArchitecture· 2020
Skipping-Girl Vinegar-Vats House and Architecture Studio
by Adrian Light
Client: ONE20 Group Architects
Silver A' Design Award Winner in Architecture Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #103632The Design
About Skipping-Girl Vinegar-Vats House and Architecture Studio
This incredible adaptation of a disused vinegar factory was carried out in an entirely sustainable manner. Not only does it use a natural stack effect to cool the space, its construction was done with a zero waste solution. No skips were used. Everything on site was re-used, recycled, or re-purposed. The basement was converted into an architecture studio with a 3 storey family home above. The vats were cleverly repurposed as planters, workstations, toilets, laundry, and even a fishpond. Natural light pours into the building as a result of removing a third of the roof to create a garden court.
The Recognition
About the Silver A' Design Award
Skipping-Girl Vinegar-Vats House and Architecture Studio is a Silver A' Design Award winner, an extraordinarily prestigious recognition granted to top-of-the-line, gorgeous, and impressive designs. Silver winners are tremendously brilliant and exceedingly creative works that illustrate the outstanding expertise, talent, and acuity of their designers. Skipping-Girl Vinegar-Vats House and Architecture Studio is expected to be a wonderful, showpiece work that is remarkably professional and profoundly innovative. This Silver A' Design Award-winning design is a highly notable, admired invention that benefits and advances the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Skipping-Girl Vinegar-Vats House and Architecture Studio is a vastly envied creation that evokes desires, introduces positive feelings, and sparks amazement and wonderment.
Where to Get It
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Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
This project was in effect an experiment to see if a building could be constructed without the need to dispose of any waste to landfill. In Austrlaia, construction waste accounts for almost 46% of all volume of landfill.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
We took great pride in the re-use of many of the existing materials on site including the 100 year old oregon beams and the “Northcote New” bricks that were made in the area at the turn of the 20th century. All waste material on site was recycled, meaning that we did not have a need for a rubbish skip on site at any point. There is a 3 storey home built on top of our basement level office. All of the 4 storeys look out onto a lush courtyard filled with Australian natives. The rain water from the site is collected at the re-purposed basement vats and redistributed throughout the toilets laundry and gardens in the building.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
Built in 1890, the building was a vinegar-making factory for the iconic Skipping Girl Vinegar brand. It is now a 4 storey building. The Ground floor is an Architectural studio. The 3 Levels above are a family home.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The sustainable adaptive re-use of a disused vinegar factory. The constructiion of the building was done with a zero waste solution. No skips were used. Everything on site was re-used, recycled or re-purposed. The basement was converted into an architecture studio with a 3 storey family home above. The vats were re-purposed as planters, Workstations, toilets, laundry and even a fishpond. Natural light pours into the building a result of removeing a third of the roof to create a garden court.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 4 storey building. Ground floor is an Architectural studio. 3 Levels above are a family home
- Tags
- Warehouse, Factory Conversion, Architecture, Sustainability, Home
- Production Technology
- All building materials were collected onsite and sorted into recyclable catagories. Timber was placed in a pile outside and used by the neighbourhood for firewood. Steel was reshaped and cut to make flashings for the windows and doors. Bricks were smashed by hand and turned into drainage for the re-purposed vat planter boxes.
- Design Challenge
- To complete a building using zero waste in the construction process
- Research
- This project was in effect an experiment to see if a building could be constructed without the need to dispose of any waste to landfill. In Austrlaia, construction waste accounts for almost 46% of all volume of landfill.
- Inspiration
- Built in 1890, the building was a vinegar-making factory for the iconic Skipping Girl Vinegar brand.
The light filled building was designed to be sustainable down to the construction phase which involved a zero-waste policy. By using high performance windows, thermal mass, insulation, natural ventilation and shading, this project challenges the way we build things in a sustainable manner. By re-using each material found onsite, it can be said that the building itself was totally preserved. - Project Duration
- The building was purchased in 2014 and construction of the final stage was complete in 2019 with the initial stage finished in 2017.
- Operation Flow
- This project was carefully constructed in a sustainable manner. There was considerable re-use of existing materials;
The 10m long timber beams that are now in the kitchen courtyard all came from the basement.
The broken bricks from the stable became drainage for garden beds.
The good bricks from the stable and the hole for the garage door were made into the BBQ and balustrade for the kitchen and the floor paving in the laundry.
The cut out concrete from the vats was used in the fishpond and as seating in the garden.
The steel scaffolding pipes were used as handrails to the stairs and as the support frame for the desks.
The old steel stair was relocated with new treads and is now the bottom stair down to the basement.
The old steel window were repaired double-glazed and are featured in the bedrooms and lounge.
Hardwood timber wall framing reused as door jambs, screening and gate to courtyard.
Planks from scaffolding and stairs were reused as shelving.
Steel grates from old windows are now in the garage as tool organisers on the wall.
Weights from double-hung windows used to stabilise chains on the walls for creepers.
Vinegar barrels reused as planters.
Steel bands from vinegar barrels reused in drains for water tanks.
Steel stair reused as wine rack
Vats reused as workstations, planters, toilets, water tanks.
Cut-off rafter ends as a sculpture. - Team Members
- Adrian Light
Luca Calvanese
Lorelei Le Berre Soule - Image Credits
- Photographer - Kit Haselden
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