The Australian National University engaged lahznimmo to design the new Siding Spring Observatory lodge to replace the old lodge following its destruction as a result of the 2013 Warrumbungle NP bushfire. The building contains 18 lodge rooms, communal lounge, dining hall and library, with a seminar room to cater for visitors to the facility.
The design of the lodge building presents as a low lying building in the landscape, allowing the observatories within the landscape to remain as the primary built forms.
Being located in a remote and exposed ridgetop location required a balance between the selection of robust materials and placement of openings-providing a high level of protection against the threat of bushfire, while offering expansive views of the Warrumbungle National Park.
The expression of the building materials is a response to the immediate landscape, and the ancient volcanic trachyte domes, plugs and dykes- all features within the Warrumbungle National Park.