Melbourne Centre of Nanofabrication, Clayton Victoria Building, Architect

Melbourne Centre of Nanofabrication, Australia

MCN New Science Building in Victoria design by Woods Bagot, architects

1 Dec 2010

Melbourne Centre of Nanofabrication

Woods Bagot designs largest purpose-built cleanroom complex in the southern hemisphere

Design: Woods Bagot architects

A mighty think tank of Woods Bagot, six Australian Universities and CSIRO collaborate to bridge the gap between scientific disciplines and commercial needs.

The Melbourne Centre of Nanofabrication (MCN), based in Clayton Victoria, boasts world class architectural features and facilities that showcase Woods Bagot as a leading competitor in the education and science design space.

Branded via the sculptural play of the letter ‘N’ the significant architectural feature for the office pavilion is a three dimensional steel structure that gives the facility a visual identity.

High on the agenda however constrained by the priorities for the engineering services design, a number of environmentally sustainable initiatives (ESD) such as the building orientation, insulation of panelling systems, water catchments and a lighting control system have also been implemented.

“The need for the engineering services to ensure the cleanrooms were maintained at a constant temperature, were ultra clean, and the environment could be controlled, restricted the ESD initiatives that could be put in place – however where possible cutting edge and innovative ideas have been implemented,” said Mark Kelly, Director, and Global Leader for Education and Science, Woods Bagot.

The purpose of the MCN is to fill the gap in Australia for open access, multi-scale fabrication infrastructure, spanning a range of fabrication environments and materials. MCN will provide the means to produce complex micro and nano-science based demonstration devices using an array of tools.

Drawing upon the wealth of knowledge within the six Universities and CSIRO, the MCN is uniquely placed in a thriving cosmopolitan world-centre, destined to bridge the gaps between scientific disciplines and commercial needs.

The centre is based on a green field site within the Australian Synchrotron Precinct.

Melbourne Centre of Nanofabrication – Building Information

Location: Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria
Gross Area: 3,400m2
Construction Cost: $18 million
End Users: Collaborative facility between Monash University, University of Melbourne, Deakin University, La Trobe University, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, and CSIRO.

Project Team: Mark Kelly, Principal, Woods Bagot, Michael Fryer, Senior Associate, Woods Bagot, Kate Frear, Principal, Woods Bagot, Harry Charalambous, Principal, Woods Bagot.

Melbourne Centre of Nanofabrication images / information from Woods Bagot Architects

Woods Bagot Architects

Location: Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia