University of Newcastle unveils high-tech building design

26 Feb, 2019

The double glazed façade system will have the potential for a fully digital display. Artist’s impression image courtesy of the University of Newcastle.

The University of Newcastle (UON) has revealed the design of the first building on its highly-anticipated Honeysuckle City Campus Development.

Designed by EJE Architecture, the building is sleek, sophisticated and transparent and features a high-tech/high-thermal performance double glazed façade system.

The 20-metre building is set to house a brand new state-of-the-art innovation hub, as well as new facilities for the university’s School of Creative Industries.

According to EJE Architecture Director Anthony Furniss the building was designed to be ‘a stage within the city’ – or a showcase of creators and innovators.

“The design creates a clean, crisp space for creators and innovators to interrupt the city as they choose,” Mr Furniss shared.

“Much like a gallery – the building is pared back and sleek to reveal the activity inside – essentially it allows the university to ‘reveal itself to the community’,” he said.

Spanning approximately 3,200 square metres, the building will also feature spaces for education and research, seminars and conferences, studios and exhibitions, informal learning and networking and a café.

Head of the School of Creative Industries Professor Egglestone said the building will enable them to develop mutually-beneficial partnerships in industries including music, experience design, game art, animation, media, and visual arts.

“The new facilities offered in the Honeysuckle building will enrich students’ learning experience, with specialised studios and technologies, and our close relationship with the Innovation Hub will help us achieve our ambition to develop entrepreneurial, enterprising graduates who’ll be running the creative businesses of the future from here in Newcastle,” he commented.

“We are very excited about the opportunities that will be created as a result of this building and its innovative design,” the Professor added.

The building and surrounding Honeysuckle City Campus are expected to adopt several sustainability initiatives including a rooftop photovoltaic solar system, a rainwater capture and reuse system, native vegetation planting and feature outdoor seating created from recycled plastic bags.

It will target a 5-Star Green Star rating (Designed and As Built) from the Green Building Council of Australia. The building is expected to be completed by late-2020.