University of Technology Sydney Building, NSW Higher Education Design, Property News

University of Technology Sydney

UTS Development, New South Wales design by Denton Corker Marshall Architects, Australia

page updated 9 Nov 2016 with new photos ; 8 Jul 2014

University of Technology Sydney – Broadway Building Design

Design: Denton Corker Marshall, architects

Selected from over 60 entries in an international two-stage design competition, the design of the new Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology engages with the urban context and conveys the university’s position at the intersection of creativity and technology.

On a prominent urban site, the building creates a gateway to the university’s revitalised city campus and the southern end of Sydney’s CBD.

Fourteen levels, plus four below ground, accommodate state-of-the-art lecture rooms, academic offices, seminar rooms, teaching and research laboratories, student union, food and recreation areas, with bicycle and car parking.

The building is expressed as a singular sculptural object, setting it apart from the more traditional architectural expression of its neighbours and from proposed towers at the Fraser Broadway Development opposite the site.

Four tilted and skewed plates envelope the building’s volume. The plates are made of aluminium sheets perforated in a pattern derived from the binary code for ‘University of Technology Sydney Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology’. ‘Gills’ creased into the surface of each plate punctuate the façade, visually reinforcing the sense of plate as skin and symbolically allowing the building to breathe.

The faculty’s collaborative learning culture materialises in the ultra-thin crevasse-like atrium which links all teaching, learning and social spaces. It’s a dynamic space occupied by open stairs, random bridge links and lounges for informal encounters, with circulation along its edges.

The raw aesthetic achieved internally with materials such as off form concrete and Corten steel engenders a warehouse quality, aligning the faculty with environments favoured by the creative industries. Offering naturally-lit access through the building at ground level, the crevasse directly links the university to the local neighbourhood.

The interior architecture has an innovative pedagogical approach and a technology rich environment at its core, which aims to support student needs and future industry trends. The latest in cutting-edge technology, includes robotics, computer and human-centred design labs, and a 3D data visualisation facility, the Data Arena – the most advanced research facility of its type in Australia.

An extensive range of environmentally sustainable design initiatives make a substantial contribution to achieving best practice standards in the faculty accommodation. The design targets a minimum 5 star Green Star rating, and is expected to deliver an energy savings of 30- 45%, a potable water saving of 20-30% and a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over benchmarked tertiary educational buildings with similar functional spaces. The shading of the binary code screen alone is estimated to bring about a 10-15% operational energy saving.

Also known as the Broadway Building, the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology forms a key part of the university’s vision to deliver an iconic and connected campus, a ten year $1 billion redevelopment initiative that will help transform the southern approach to the Sydney CBD.

University of Technology Sydney Broadway Building images / information from Denton Corker Marshall

Denton Corker Marshall

2 Sep 2009

University of Technology Sydney – Broadway Building

Denton Corker Marshall

Denton Corker Marshall wins design competition for a new Broadway Building for the University of Technology, Sydney

Architects Denton Corker Marshall have won the two stage international design competition for a new state-of-the-art Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology building on Broadway for the University of Technology Sydney.

The $170 million building, designed to strong environmentally sustainable principles, provides for 12 levels of research laboratories, lecture theatres, seminar rooms, teaching laboratories and academic offices.

The building is seen as a singular sculptural object, designed to stand apart from proposed towers by Jean Nouvel and Foster Associates at the Fraser Broadway Development opposite the site.

The basic volume of the building is broken or eroded by a ‘crevasse’ giving pedestrian access through the building and connecting with the surrounding locality. The volume of the building is then covered by four tilted and skewed plates – one for each façade. These form a series of triangular openings at the corners which extend to ground level, allowing access, address and visual penetration.

The surface of each plate is creased to form a series of ‘gills’, visually reinforcing the sense of plate as skin and creating a semi-transparent screen. Further permeability is established by perforating the skin of each plate. Using the ‘1’s and ‘0s’ of binary code, the alphabetical character string for ‘University of Technology Sydney Faculty of Engineering and information Technology’ is translated and re-worked to create a perforated pattern on the skins.

Director John Denton said ‘In approaching the competition brief, we were keen to develop a solution that on the one hand engaged the urban context but also clearly stated ‘This is a university of technology building’’.

The design targets a minimum 5-star Green Star rating, with an energy saving strategy expected to deliver a 30% to 45% energy saving over benchmark tertiary educational buildings with similar functional spaces.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Ross Milbourne said ‘A key driver for this project was to find a design that articulated UTS’s position at the intersection of creativity and technology. I believe that this building will represent the most significant piece of architecture in Sydney since the Opera House.’

Denton Corker Marshall’s design was selected from 6 architects in a two stage design excellence completion. ‘The jury’s decision was unanimous in the end,’ said Chair of the Assessment Panel Graham Jahn, ‘This proposal met the project’s strategic drivers and its urban design approach will ensure the building becomes a positive landmark.’

University of Technology Sydney Broadway Building images / information from Denton Corker Marshall

Denton Corker Marshall

Location: University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, Sydney, NSW, Australia