Interdisciplinary design firm HASSELL has shared with us their competition submittal for the Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC), a new landmark building at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. Additional images and the architect’s description after the break.
Multidisciplinary design firm HASSELL was recently invited to participate in a competition for the Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC), a new landmark building at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. The competition entry reflects Swinburne’s developments in the fields of research, innovation and technical excellence as well as the University’s approach to openness and transparency to the broader community.
The building consists of a combination of laboratory spaces, research labs, learning spaces, offices and meeting rooms, a 350 seat lecture theatre and two levels of basement car parking. To allow for maximum flexibility and accessibility, the design placed the factory spaces in the centre of the building, surrounded by a flexible program layout. This concept of a factory ‘heart’ generates a high level of possible interaction between the learning and office space, promoting maximum integration and opportunity.
The designers experimented with materials to create a sense of translucency and depth in the building space. The façade of the central volume of the building comprises a combination of channel glass, solid wall and clear vision windows, allowing large volumes of diffused natural light into the building. The building form and façade integrates within the Victorian heritage street frontage and local neighbourhood, yet creates its own identity for the AMC.
Various types of glass and their different modes of reflection act together with a metal mesh to provide depth and texture responding to internal program use and to the changing light and seasonal conditions. During the day, the building shines and reflects, while at night it glows, hinting to the passerby of the active research and innovation taking place within its walls.
Design Team: HASSELL – Mark Loughnan, Anna Fairbank, Eliza Rieniets, Jeroen Hagendoorn, Simon Rich Clients: Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne Consultants: AECOM – structures, facades, geotechnical, civil / AURECON – mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, ESD, fire, vertical / ARUP – acoustics / Davis Langdon – access, consultancy / McKenzie Group – building surveying services / MEL Consultants – wind Project area: 19,000 sqm Project year: 2010 Project status: Unrealised (shortlisted but ultimately unsuccessful competition entry) Imagery by: HASSELL
_Design Team HASSELL: Mark Loughnan, Anna Fairbank, Eliza Rieniets, Jeroen Hagendoorn, Simon Rich
_Clients: Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne
_Consultants:
AECOM – structures, facades, geotechnical, civil
AURECON – mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, ESD, fire, vertical
ARUP – acoustics
Davis Langdon – access, consultancy
McKenzie Group – building surveying services
MEL Consultants – wind
_Project area: 19,000 sqm
_Project year: 2010
_Imagery by: HASSELL
