Parramatta’s world-class Engineering Innovation Hub design team announced
Design team ‘Tzannes + Blight Rayner Architecture’ has won the Design Excellence Competition to create the Engineering Innovation Hub, in the heart of the Parramatta CBD.
The world-class Engineering Innovation Hub will be an Australian-first, delivered through a joint venture between Western Sydney University (WSU) and UNSW Sydney, and in collaboration with Charter Hall. It will be a high performance, technology enabled, environmentally sustainable vertical campus with integrated education facilities and commercial offices.
Coordinated by the Office of the Government Architect NSW, the winning submission successfully optimises the Engineering Innovation Hub’s urban design contribution to Parramatta and its immediate context.
Charter Hall Head of Office Development, Andrew Borger said: “As one of the leading owners, managers and developers of education precincts in Australia, we have listened closely to determine what our education partners need and aspire to.
“We would also like to thank the NSW State Government Architect for coordinating the design excellence process, which has not only selected a winning architect but refined the design to maximise its educational and urban design potentials.”
Western Sydney University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Barney Glover AO, noted the winning design is a significant development in the creation of a dedicated state-of-the-art engineering education precinct in Western Sydney.
“This joint venture will deliver emerging technologies and opportunities at scale, as well as educational and commercial engineering excellence in the heart of Parramatta. This winning design demonstrates sophisticated insight into the specific needs of our students and commercial partners,” said Professor Glover.
The new integrated education facility will cater for WSU and UNSW’s education and teaching requirements through the 28,500 square metre vertical campus and provide office space for commercial tenancy.
A spokesperson for the Tzannes + Blight Rayner team said: “We thought it would be wonderful to reveal the structure so that it reflects the engineering focus in the building.”
The design incorporates innovative environmental strategies ranging from ‘carve-outs’ in the façade that penetrate daylight down into the basement, and multiple garden break-out terraces.
The Engineering Innovation Hub is part of WSU’s ‘Western Growth’strategy – an ambitious program of works that is reshaping the University’s campus network, including establishing new vertical campuses within the growth centres of our region.
The collaboration on the Engineering Innovation Hub follows the successful partnership with Charter Hall on WSU’s nearby Parramatta City campus located at 1 Parramatta Square, The Peter Shergold building - 1PSQ, which embeds the University in the social, economic and cultural life of the city.
Ends
12 February 2019
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