The Cairns Institute James Cook University, Queensland Building Design Images

The Cairns Institute, Australia : James Cook University Building

Queensland Architectural Development design by Woods Bagot and RPA Architects, Australia

20 Aug 2013

James Cook University has unveiled the Cairns Institute, with tropical architecture and design by Woods Bagot

Design: Woods Bagot / RPA Architects

Tropical campus design for tropical research centre opens doors

The Cairns Institute – James Cook University

The Cairns Institute, a revolutionary tropical research space, opened the doors of its new headquarters this July, with new architecture by Woods Bagot and RPA Architects.

The Institute, part of James Cook University in far north Queensland, is a repository of regional knowledge and research capacity, perfectly positioned to make a significant contribution to the development of a sustainable quality of life for tropical communities.

JCU Vice-Chancellor Professor Sandra Harding said the $25 million building, with its innovative ‘basket of knowledge’ design, was central to the vision of JCU.

The Cairns Institute:

photograph : Scott Burrows

“World-leading researchers in the social sciences and humanities, with a focus on the tropics, will work from this building. From here they can collaborate with diverse teams from more than 20 academic disciplines across JCU’s campuses in Cairns, Townsville and Singapore,” Professor Harding said.

The design reflects the beautiful, tropical landscape of far north Queensland while also providing a contemporary research and collaboration environment with the highest technological standards.

Cradled on three sides by rain forested slopes, the site draws the tropical landscape into the heart of the campus, creating a stimulating environment for students and staff.

The design team, led by Woods Bagot Brisbane Principal Mark Damant, had an opportunity to create a building that represented its place and its context in a new and exciting way which has resulted in the delivery of cutting edge design elements.

“A truly imaginative and integrated design solution that was distinctive and uniquely desirable to JCU’s community was paramount,” said Mark. “Attracting the best researchers was a central aim of the University, so it was crucial to create an environment that optimised the working experience to a point where people would love engaging with the building.”

The Cairns Institute:

photograph : Scott Burrows

Intrinsic to the design proposition is the celebration and enrichment of the Institute’s rainforest backdrop. The facade is layered and evolutionary – the building form is informed by the surrounding landscape, the design goal of this project was to create a building that blurred into the landscape itself

An evolving landscape skin, a ‘trellis’, defines the building and encapsulates aesthetics and sun control, as well as a variety of micro climate ecologies around the building that are suited to their function and orientation.

The design also assists in minimising running costs for JCU whilst contributing to the quality of environment, and is in line with the University’s aspiration to achieve a sustainable outcome for the building.

The Cairns Institute:

photograph : Mark Damant

Cairns Institute Tropical Research Centre – Building Information

Name: The Cairns Institute – James Cook University
Area: 4,000 sqm
Joint Venture Architects: Woods Bagot and RPA Architects

The Cairns Institute images / information from Woods Bagot

20 Nov 2010

The Cairns Institute

Woods Bagot and RPA Architects set to create landmark building in the heart of the Australian tropics

Design: Woods Bagot / RPA Architects

The Cairns Institute, the new hub for tropical research is set to re-define teaching and learning in climatic conditions.

Artist’s impression of The Cairns Institute at James Cook University’s Smithfield Campus:

picture : Woods Bagot and RPA Architects

The Cairns Institute

Proposing a concept that will celebrate the rainforest setting, and enrich the place experience was a winning formula for Queensland based practices, Woods Bagot and RPA Architects who have been awarded the design of The Cairns Institute, headquartered on the James Cook University (JCU) Cairns campus.

A AUS$25 million project, the Institute, located in the north of Queensland, Australia, will be a research hub, housing specialists in the social sciences, humanities, law and business sectors to examine the issues of importance to people in the tropics.

Putting The Cairns Institute and JCU on the international stage to attract post-graduate students from around the globe; and to enable the university to draw a high calibre of researchers was key to the winning design.

“Attracting the best researchers was the central aim of the university – it was crucial that our proposed building design would create an environment that optimises the working experience to a point that people would love engaging with the building,” Mark Damant, Principal, Woods Bagot said.

Cradled on three sides by rain-forested slopes, the landscape setting was inherent to the idea of a tropical campus – drawing the rainforest into the campus, enriching the urban campus heart, and in turn stimulating thought leadership from the students.

“Intrinsic to our design proposition, was a concept that celebrated the rainforest setting and enriched the place experience. The proposed facade is layered and evolutionary – landscape is encouraged by shape – the building is blurred into the landscape itself,” David Derbyshire, Director RPA Architects said.

The selection of the Woods Bagot Brisbane Studio and RPA Architects, Townsville, was the result of an exhaustive selection process which included a public display in Cairns of the five short-listed designs; with specific design elements attracting attention and positive feedback from the local community.

“A truly imaginative and integrated design solution that was distinctive and uniquely desirable to the JCU community was paramount. We had an opportunity to create a building that represented its place and its context in a new and exciting way – this spurred us on to deliver cutting edge design elements,” Mark Damant, Principal, Woods Bagot continued.

An evolving landscape skin, known as a ‘trellis’ that defines the building and encapsulates aesthetics and sun control, as well as a variety of micro climate ecologies around the building, that are suited to their function and orientation, are some of the design elements that have been proposed.

The facades and the internal spaces and functions can be viewed through the trellis. In places the internal elements project through the trellis, and there are holes in the trellis linking internal and external spaces with the landscape.

Furthermore, JCU is aspiring to have the building achieve an equivalent to, or higher than, a Greenstar 5 rating, and therefore it was paramount that the building be rich with ‘future adaptability’ potential.

“At the heart of these elements is an underlying commitment by the consortium to not only complement the proposed institute’s current surroundings, but to also enable design to assist in minimising running costs whilst contributing to the quality of environment,” JCU Vice Chancellor Professor Sandra Harding said.

Funded with the assistance of a $19.5 million grant from the Federal Government, the institute will make the Cairns region an engine room for Australian engagement with the tropical world.

Construction of the Institute is expected to take a year, beginning in the second quarter of next year. A managing construction contractor is yet to be selected.

Cairns Institute Queensland – Building Information

Name: The Cairns Institute – James Cook University
Area: 4,000sqm
Sustainability: JCU is aspiring to have the building achieve an equivalent to, or higher than, a Greenstar 5 rating
Joint Venture Architects: Woods Bagot and RPA Architects
Client: James Cook University, Cairns

The Cairns Institute images / information from ING

Location: The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia

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