Inspired by the idea of a treehouse, the UTS Business School building was designed by architect Frank Gehry as ‘a growing learning organism with many branches of thought, some robust and some ephemeral and delicate’.
Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, UTS Business School
Gehry was determined to not only create a new Sydney landmark but internal spaces that inspire real and relevant research and learning outcomes, interdisciplinary collaboration and the cross-pollination of ideas.
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It's such an inspiring space. There are different angles and something different every place you look, so that's really exciting as a student, to work in something that's different.
When I walk into the building, I just feel such a strange mix of emotions because it's such an unconventional space.
I think we've all been seeing the outside as it's been unfolding and be excited about what it might mean, but when you walk in - but the lovely warmth of the use of timber is the first thing that strikes me.
Frank Gehry described this as his dream building. It was a dream for him because it fulfilled an unrealised philosophy of education, the philosophy of a treehouse. A treehouse with a trunk of social spaces, branching into areas of discipline, knowledge and research.
The way that universities operate around the world is fundamentally changing. Students expect different things. They need to be prepared in different manners for their careers for the 21st century.
I'd like to think at UTS, we are approaching business as unusual, and for me, that's what this building says. This is the building as unusual - this is the place where you can sort of play with ideas.
The concept of collaboration, of working together and understanding other people's ideas and issues, has a great capacity to emerge in this type of environment.
Collaborative education is incredibly important because we all end up working in teams. The impact of the new building will be a potential for a much greater collaboration between students and lecturers.
For a start, the physical layout is going to change the way that we teach. This room breaks the way that we traditionally structure a room in terms of the teacher-student dynamic, so that's going to change the method and the technique with which we teach.
You've got collaboration in these new formal teaching spaces, and that's terrific, but I think the really exciting thing from both a teaching and learning perspective is that when class finishes, you see students sitting around putting all those ideas into practice.
The informal spaces in the building are essential to a postgraduate student. It's really essential that we have places that we can get together and collaborate, places that we can meet and work on things together.
Education is no longer about something where you're locked away for a few years, you learn things, then you go out and see what the real world is doing. More and more, industry needs to come back in.
It's a building that reaches out to the world. It goes beyond the walls. It really means that we can do here is become much more global. This new building will really have an impact on postgraduate education. What we do at UTS Business School has always been about collaboration with industry, it's about problem solving and it's about reframing problems so that we can come up with creative solutions.
We wanted a building that would differentiate UTS, that would highlight our commitment to creativity, innovation and connection.
It's shaping what the university says about itself, but it's also a marker to that creative, digital hub in which the whole university is now sitting.
This building really symbolises for me the innovation of UTS, the commitment of UTS to my education and to making sure that what I learn is world class.
Dr Chau Chak Wing Building
UTS Business School, Building 8, UTS campus, 14–28 Ultimo Road, Ultimo NSW 2007
Learn more about our building
Sustainability
The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building was the first UTS building to be awarded a 5 Star Green Star Design rating certified by the Green Building Council of Australia.
Sustainability has been considered throughout the building in the choice of construction materials, interior furnishings, sustainable timber and energy-efficient air-conditioning. A 20,000-litre tank on the roof harvests rainwater for use in toilets and for irrigation, reducing potable water use. Fire system test water is also collected and recycled.
In the basement, 160 bicycle parking spaces, lockers, changing areas and showers are provided to encourage students and staff to cycle to class and work.
Key building project facts
Name
The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building – home to the UTS Business School – is named after the Australian-Chinese businessman and philanthropist who donated $20 million to the project.
Dr Chau Chak Wing, whose son Eric graduated from UTS with a Bachelor of Design in Interior and Spatial Design (BDes ISD) in 2011, also donated an additional $5 million to the university for Australia-China scholarships.
Design architect
Gehry Partners
Executive architect
Daryl Jackson Robin Dyke
Location
City Campus – bounded by Mary Ann Street, The Goods Line, Ultimo Road and Omnibus Lane, Ultimo
Size
Levels – 14 (12 above-ground) storeys, consisting of 11 occupied floors, plus one basement parking level, plant level and rooftop
Gross building area – 18,413m2; total usable floor area – 15,500m2
Capacity
Up to approximately 1630 – made up of around 1300 students and 330 staff
Parking
160 bicycle and 20 car spaces in the level 1 basement
Environmental rating
5 Star Green Star Design rating certified by the Green Building Council of Australia (achieved in 2013)
Main works contractor
Lend Lease
Additional project partners
- UTS Program Management Office (project manager)
- AECOM (ecologically sustainable design and services engineer)
- Arup (lead façade consultant, structural engineer, transportation and traffic)
- Austral Bricks (brick manufacturer)
- Australian Museum Business Services [AMBS] (archaeological investigation and excavation) AW Edwards (early works contractor)
- Casey & Lowe (archaeological consultant)
- Dominic Steele Consulting Archaeology (Aboriginal archaeological investigation)
- Favetti Bricklaying (bricklaying)
- Godden Mackay Logan (heritage assessment)
- Morris Goding Access Consulting (accessibility consultant)
- RPS (statutory planner)
- Urban Art Projects (stainless steel stair manufacture)
Location
The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building is part of UTS’ city campus and is located at UTS Building 8, 14–28 Ultimo Road, Ultimo NSW 2007.
The UTS campus is conveniently located within easy walking distance of Central Station and Railway Square.
Directions to UTS Business School
From Central Station
The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building is only 10-minutes walk from Central Station via The Goods Line pedestrian walkway. If you are coming from Central Station, the easiest way is to leave the station via the South Concourse and continue through the Devonshire Street Tunnel onto The Goods Line, which connects Central with Darling Harbour.
Bus access is from Railway Square, from which you can join the tunnel under George Street to get to The Goods Line
UTS Business School is located on The Goods Line just near the Ultimo Road pedestrian bridge. If you are entering the building off The Goods Line, this is Level 3. The Level 2 entrances are off Mary Ann Street and Ultimo Road.
Transport is available via train, bus and light rail.
Driving
Parking is limited to street meters and user-pay parking stations.
- Wilson Car Parking: Market City
- Wilson Car Parking: Novotel Sydney Central Citigate Car Park
Visiting hours
The public levels of the building are open to members of the public from 8am to 10pm on weekdays. Entry is via Ultimo Road or Mary Ann Street.