Butterfly roof with a bullnose edge

The new head office for Peters Ice Cream by Gray Puksand, located in Melbourne, makes the most of the existing landscape and takes additional inspiration from its natural surrounds: slender steel columns imitate gum trees to create the illusion of a two-storey structure that lightly connects the ground. The project demonstrates a different office typology by the way it is positioned into the natural terrain.

The most striking feature is a butterfly-shaped roof made of wide ALUCOBOND® eaves that floats over the car park and forms a bullnose edge.

Kelly Wellington, an associate at Gray Puksand, said:

“By using the existing topography, we lifted up the building to create a dramatic entry with the tilted butterfly roof and a car park below the offices,”

On the south side, angular precast panels maintain thermal comfort through passive design.

The building was also designed to achieve a minimum 4.5-star NABERS Energy Rating.

  • Project Name: Peters Ice Cream
  • Country: Australia
  • Location: 254-294 Wellington Road Mulgrave VIC 3170
  • Material: 4mm ALUCOBOND® plus 8mm Trespa FR
  • Qty in sqm: 892m2 – ALUCOBOND®, 280m2 – Trespa
  • Year Completed: 2016
  • Colour 1: Anthracite Grey 105 – 126m2
  • Colour 2: Dark Grey Metallic 505 – 766m2
  • Colour 3: Trespa Halmstad – 280m22
  • Construction / Fixing detail: Fixed Cassette
  • Owner / Investor: Peters Ice Cream
  • Architect / Designer: Gray Puksand Pty Ltd
  • Fabricator / Installator: Alclad (ALUCOBOND®), Acoustic Control Australia (Trespa)