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Architects: DesignInc
- Area: 17000 m²
- Year: 2010
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Photographs:Dianna Snape
The Monash University Biomedical Sciences Buildings (STRIP 2) redefine the university campus plan, reorienting new buildings to face north creating a new campus edge as a model for future development. Circulation and building activity are celebrated as new entry points develop into future gateways into the campus.
The Precinct aims to explore research in human well–being and regenerative medicine, promoting the well–being of its occupants and their research. It was designed to accommodate 540 research scientists from the School of Biomedical Sciences and the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute in 17,200m2 of flexible PC2 laboratory, office and social space housed over two four storey buildings linked by a public core.
Flexible laboratories and support spaces form the research core linked by generous circulation ways, meeting rooms, breakout and gathering spaces, all designed to encourage interaction between individual research groups.
The two four storey research buildings, linked by a social core, are integrated by environmental strategies promoting research connection, passive and low energy design. Active mass cooling and displacement ventilation are combined for the first time in a research laboratory.
The social core is naturally ventilated, circulating fresh air, people and light through the stair well, lifts and breakout meeting zones. A ‘Linear Hub’ is conceived as a pathway to learning following a walking route encouraging interaction amongst the research community at multiple levels.