USNW has won multiple Excellence in Construction awards at the Master Builder’s Association (MBA) of NSW awards last week.  

The celebrated major campus projects include the new Science and Engineering Building, the refurbished Electrical Engineering Building and the refurbished Biological Sciences North building. The wins celebrate the University’s commitment to significantly investing in world-class research and teaching facilities.

Deputy Vice-President of Finance and Operations Jeff Peers said: “The commitment of UNSW Estate Management staff to lead the development of these great outcomes has seen a tremendous uplift to the enablement of research and teaching at UNSW as well as the sense of place and community we are creating. We are proud to play such a significant part in UNSW’s journey,” he said.

Award-Winning Projects

The Science and Engineering Building (SEB) – a brand new 10-storey building providing state of the art teaching and research facilities – won the Master Builder Association of NSW’s Award in the Construction Category for Tertiary Buildings $100m and over.

SEB

The brand new 10-storey Science and Engineering Building provides state of the art teaching and research facilities.

The three-year project has brought together the Schools of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Arts and Media, Learning Environments and the Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre under one roof.

The 25,000m2 space, designed by Grimshaw Architects and delivered by Multiplex, contains wet chemistry laboratories as well as offices and non-laboratory teaching spaces.

The building incorporates the Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab with its Io Myers and Studio One theatres.

The Electrical Engineering Building (EEB) – a complete refurbishment of a 50-year-old five and six-storey building in the heart of the Kensington campus – won the Master Builder Association of NSW’s Award in the Construction Category of Tertiary Buildings for $75m - $100m buildings.

EEB

The award-winning Electrical Engineering Building was a transformation of the existing 50-year old building to a world-class standard.

The EEB houses the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, Learning Environments and the Nura Gili Centre for Indigenous Programs.

The 14,750m2 refurbishment, designed by Hassall and delivered by A W Edwards Pty Ltd, consists of teaching laboratories including a quantum physics lab, technician offices, workshops, computer rooms, lecture theatres, research laboratories and amenities.

A new plant room, hot and chilled water plant and cooling towers, water storage and back-up generators were provided along with specialised equipment such as a fibre-optic draw tower, lasers and two anechoic chambers.

The building incorporates many environmentally sustainable design features such as energy efficiency performance 15% above building code requirements, 5 to 6-star WELS rated water fixtures, and at least 50% certified sustainable furniture, flooring, finishes and timber.

Biological Sciences North Building – a complete refurbishment that retained only the outer building shell– won the 2019 Master Builder Association of NSW’s Award in the Construction Category for Refurbishments/Renovations/Extensions for Buildings $100m and over.

BiosciencesCorridors

The award-winning Biological Sciences North was completely transformed from the inside.

The Biological Sciences North Building, as an extension of the Biological Sciences South Building, designed by Woods Bagot and delivered by Multiplex, completes the Biosciences and the broader Biomedical Research Precinct on upper campus which includes the Lowy Cancer Research Centre and the Wallace Wurth School of Medicine.

The extensive work has delivered contemporary services including undergraduate teaching laboratories on Ground and Level 1, shared research laboratories on Level 2-5 and a combined schools office.