Advanced Manufacturing Centre / HASSELL

Oct 2010

By Hank Jarz — Filed under: Educational , Australia, Hassell, Melbourne

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Perspective of Southwest corner

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.

Perspective of Southeast corner during day

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.

Perspective of Southeast corner at night

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.

Perspective of entrance at Northwest corner

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.

Interior Perspective

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