Multiplex continues to deliver at UNSW

Located at the Kensington campus in Botany Street, Randwick, the project comprises a total of 21,339 square metres and includes the new nine level Bioscience Building which complements the surrounding buildings. Designed by Woods Bagot, the building also features a new atrium and upgrade of the surrounding landscape.

It represents the third stage of the regeneration and expansion of the Biomedical Precinct at UNSW, addressing the long-term accommodation needs of the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences and the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, as well as the functional needs of the wider precinct.

“We are delighted to have completed the new Bioscience Building on time and on budget. Our team has specialist expertise in delivering world-leading research and education facilities and has thrived in this live campus environment,” said Mr David Ghannoum, New South Wales Regional Managing Director at Multiplex.

Multiplex has delivered several new facilities at UNSW in recent years, including the University Terraces student accommodation, the Materials Science and Engineering Building (now known as the Hilmer Building) and the Tyree Energy Technologies Building.

The new Bioscience Building provides students and researchers with a contemporary research and teaching environment including new mixed use wet and dry laboratories.

UNSW Faculty of Science research projects set to benefit from the new facility include understanding the origin and evolution of life on Earth; determining the effects of microplastics on the marine environment; tracing past environmental change using limestone deposits in caves and Antarctic ice cores; protecting Australian ecosystems that support our iconic wildlife; examining the evolutionary costs and benefits of sex; discovering the secrets of life at a molecular level; and using molecular biosciences to understand cancer, infectious, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases.

Teaching areas are provided on the Ground floor and Level 1 of the new building, with rooms fitted with floor-to-ceiling glass windows to enable viewing into labs and ‘Science On Display’ opportunities. Upper floors are dedicated to Generic Open Lab and workplace facilities designed to maximise collaboration between researchers.

Challenges faced during construction include the footprint of the building being wedged between three operating buildings, with minimal storage areas and difficult access for deliveries. The team also carried out extensive enabling works including diversion of in-ground services, construction of a new electrical substation and decommissioning of two substations.

Works commenced in September 2015 and spanned an 18 month period.

Construction saw some 9,350 cubic metres of concrete poured with 120 tonnes of post-tensioning used as well as 980 tonnes of reinforcing steel.