Faculty of Engineering and IT Building (Building 11)

In 2014, UTS unveiled its new Engineering and IT Building, the single-largest facility to be constructed under UTS’s $1 billion plus City Campus Master Plan.

It accommodates the Faculty of Engineering and IT, along with many of its specialist facilities. Rising 13 storeys above the ground, the building, designed by Melbourne-based architects Denton Corker Marshall, is encased in a dramatic ‘binary screen’ and features state-of-the-art teaching, learning and research spaces throughout.

UTS received funding from both federal and state governments for the building, including a $50 million Education Investment Fund (EIF) grant from the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

Building snapshot

Project completed: May 2014

Teaching commenced: July 2014

Gross building area: 44,000m²  over 14 levels (including plant) + 4 basement levels

Location: Corner of Broadway and Wattle Street, Ultimo

Architect: Denton Corker Marshall

Main works contractor: Lend Lease

Funding: $50 million Education Investment Fund (EIF) grant from the Australian Government and $1.2 million from the Department of Trade and Industry’s (NSW) Science Leverage Funding Program

Sustainability rating: 5 Star Green Star Design rating from the Green Building Council of Australia

Key design features and spaces

The building’s design is as striking on the inside as it is on the outside, reflecting the university’s position at the cutting edge of creativity, innovation and technology.  Innovative teaching, learning and research spaces support the student-centred UTS Model of Learning under the learning.futures initiative as well as industry-focused research.

Take a tour of some of the building's most unique features:

Data Arena
The UTS Data Arena is a 360-degree interactive data visualisation facility, which is set to change the way we view and interact with data. A powerful and immersive experience, it has the capacity to enable business, government and researchers to visualise complex information, identify trends and solve problems. Find out more about the Data Arena here.

 

 

 

Façade
Angled, semi-transparent ‘binary screens’ encase the building and, in some areas, overshoot the structure by up to 16 metres. The screens are made of aluminium sheets perforated with binary code (pattern of ‘1s’ and ‘0s’ in computer language). ‘Gills’ creased into the aluminium plates, which light up at night, symbolically reinforce the building as a living, breathing structure.

 

 

 

Atrium
A crevasse-like pedestrian atrium runs through the heart of the building, providing natural light and pedestrian access throughout the building via a series of stairs and escalators. Teaching, learning, research and social spaces are clustered around the atrium, creating a dynamic interior.
 

 

 

Collaborative theatres
Collaborative theatres facilitate multiple forms of engagement including presentations, collaborative group work and technology-enabled activities.

 

 

 

 

Collaborative classrooms
Collaborative classrooms feature interactive whiteboards or LCDs, mobile chairs and tables and rotating lecterns, providing opportunities for technology-enabled project work and group learning.

 

 

 

Learning commons
These informal spaces are intended for a variety of learning activities, including individual and group study and collaborative learning, as well as for relaxing and socialising. These student-focused spaces are scattered across the building and come with a range of infrastructure including large screens for group work and powerpoints for BYOD (bring your own device).

 

 

 

Living lab
The building is described as a 'living laboratory' and displays real-time data on its performance, including air quality, temperature and the movement of the structure. The data, collected via sensors that have been placed throughout the building, internally and within the concrete, will be used for teaching and research and also be displayed on various screens throughout the building.

 

 

Green design
The building was awarded a 5-star Green Star Design rating from the Green Building Council of Australia with sustainable features including a roof-top wind turbine, solar panel and solar concentrating troughs. About 20% of the building’s energy is generated by technology on or in the building. Find out more about the building's sustainability features.

 

 

Awards

UTS's Faculty of Engineering and IT Building is the recipient of the following awards:

• 2014 AIRAH Awards: Denis Joseph Award for Innovative Use of Solar Energy in Heating, Ventilation, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration.

The building also received commendations in the:

• 2016 NSW Architecture Awards: Educational Architecture and Interior Architecture
• Australian Institute of Building Awards 2014: Commercial Projects Valued Over $100m

• NSW Government's 2014 Green Globe Awards: Built Environment Sustainability – Commercial and Residential Properties (opens external site)
• 2014 National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) Awards: Large Commercial Project.

For more information about UTS sustainability awards, visit UTS Green.

Timeline

August 2009: Architects Denton Corker Marshall selected through the Broadway Building Design Competition

September 2010: Demolition begins

May 2014: Construction completed

June 2014: Building opened

July 2014: Teaching commenced

Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Find out more about the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology and how it delivers rigorous, practical and industry-focused education and research.