Western Sydney University, Charter Hall and UNSW Sydney have celebrated the official opening of the $300 million world-class ‘Engineering Innovation Hub’ at 6 Hassall Street – a world-leading engineering and industry innovation precinct in the heart of Parramatta designed to blend state-of-the-art commercial and education facilities and deliver the next generation of engineers, architects and entrepreneurial leaders for Western Sydney and the nation.
Attending the opening ceremony to mark the major milestone on Thursday 6 October were:
- NSW Premier, the Hon. Dominic Perrottet MP
- Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barney Glover AO
- Charter Hall Managing Director & Group CEO, Mr David Harrison
- Vice-President, Operations at UNSW Sydney, Mr Andrew Walters
- General Manager Sydney and Major Projects at Richard Crookes Constructions, Mr Grant D’Arcy.
A major investment in the Western Sydney region, the 21-storey Engineering Innovation Hub is located at 6 Hassall Street and firmly embedded in the civic centre of the Parramatta CBD.
Featuring state-of-the-art, digitally infused education, commercial, retail, and co-working facilities, the building has been specifically designed to promote knowledge sharing and to create meaningful connections between universities, industry, and the community.
Teaching programs offered at the new campus include a collaborative joint engineering degree, developed and delivered in partnership with UNSW, as well as courses in architecture, industrial design, and entrepreneurship. It is home to Western Sydney University’s world-leading research programs such as the Urban Transformation Research Centre and the University’s tech start-up incubator, LaunchPad.
Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barney Glover AO, said the Engineering Innovation Hub is a milestone achievement – truly transformative infrastructure for Parramatta that fosters all-important innovation in the engineering sector and delivers positive outcomes for the whole community.
“The Engineering Innovation Hub is creating unparalleled opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and across industries – a world-class innovation precinct that is driving academic excellence and promoting economic growth across the whole western Sydney region,” said Professor Glover.
“This campus provides an exceptional teaching and work-integrated learning environment for our students, with the chance to leverage knowledge-jobs and research and development opportunities arising from the large-scale infrastructure and engineering investments across the region, including the new airport at Bradfield, the Sydney West Metro, and the Parramatta Light Rail. It is also fostering important research collaborations with business and industry and developing an innovation ecosystem for Western Sydney.”
Charter Hall Managing Director & Group CEO, Mr David Harrison, said, “We are proud of this outstanding investment in the heart of Parramatta, which Charter Hall will own long term after a successful joint venture development with Western Sydney University.”
“In addition to expanding our continued partnership with Western Sydney University, we are pleased to welcome valued tenant customers in CBHS Health Fund, Pepper Money and Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia who will play a vital role in creating a future-ready and resilient precinct where commerce and learning collide to create the next generation of industry leaders in Western Sydney,” said Mr Harrison.
UNSW Sydney’s Vice-President Operations, Mr Andrew Walters said “UNSW and Western Sydney University are of the firm belief that we are well positioned to support the priorities and needs of the State Government and the people of Greater Western Sydney. And we relish the opportunity to be a driving force in this critical region’s success.”
With limited office space remaining, the A-grade building boasts Parramatta’s highest level of tenant and academic amenities.
The flexible and smart building was designed by joint venture architects Blight Rayner and Tzannes in conjunction with Richard Crookes Constructions as the construction partner and Hassell delivering the fitout for Western Sydney University.
Cutting-edge in both design and construction, the stunning campus comprises 29,000 square metres across 21 floors.
A dramatic vertical steel stair connects through a triple height void from basement and ground through to level 6 of the building. Ultra-flexible spaces blur the lines between traditional university and commercial office environments – designed to promote creativity and encourage collaboration among students, researchers, industry partners, tenants and community.
A smart building in every sense, intuitive technology both now and into the future is at the heart of the future-ready precinct, including smartphone lift call capability; touchless smart bathroom amenities for a healthier work environment; cyber security integration; and electric vehicle charging stations.
With Western Sydney University recently named number one in the world for its social, ecological, and economic impact in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings, sustainability has been key, with all building elements designed to minimise embodied energy in their manufacture and selected with a whole-of-life approach in mind.
The Engineering Innovation Hub is Western Sydney University’s second major campus in the Parramatta CBD after the Peter Shergold Building which was opened in 2017 in Parramatta Square and also developed in partnership with Charter Hall.
