Transforming the campus from the outside in
An integral part of the brief was for the project to have a transformative effect in terms of the architecture and identity of the campus. Previously built within the strict guidelines for materials and heights, our design for LIMS is an opportunity to make a statement about Australia’s investment in science. We achieved this with two key strategies; designing a facility with bold features and embedding future pathways into physical spaces, thus providing a transformative experience for students, teachers and researchers. The story of the cellular research work taking place inside the building is embedded in the façade in the form of hexagonal windows that stretch across the front and rear. They are designed to represent a molecular structure with some structures jutting out, disrupting the regularity of the pattern. On the inside they make for unique and flexible breakout meeting spaces and balconies for students to occupy, and for research staff to meet and collaborate. As research centre architecture, the façade expression communicates the science within while creating useful breakout niches along circulation. The distinct facade distinguishes the building on the campus, signifying a university committed to future focused solutions. The walls are primarily precast concrete, with the cells providing lower and upper windows into the various spaces, providing an abundance of natural daylight. External sun shades are integrated with the precast panelling system, provide shading to the north, and glare control to the south. This integrated approach supports research space optimisation by delivering glare-free daylight and consistent conditions for lab work. This strategy allows the laboratories to be set up without any internal blinds, and without direct sun entering into any of the laboratory benches. This is just one of the sustainable design aspects that contributes to the building’s formal certification for 5 Star Greenstar.