Gehry's 'treehouse' becomes home to UTS Business School
November 2014
In what is the single-biggest milestone in UTS’s $1 billion City Campus Master Plan, the main phase of construction of our new UTS Business School – the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building – is now complete.
UTS has been handed the keys of Australia’s first Frank Gehry-designed building, named for Chinese businessman and philanthropist Dr Chau Chak Wing, meaning it is now in possession of three, new, state-of-the-art buildings. UTS’s reimagined campus of the future is now a reality.
It feels like only yesterday that Gehry unveiled his ‘treehouse’ vision for the UTS Business School (back in 2010). Four years later, following a complex excavation and an even more challenging construction effort, the building has ‘taken root’. Final preparations, including the commissioning of AV and IT throughout the building and the fitout of spaces with furniture, are taking place ahead of the faculty’s relocation at the end of the month and start of teaching in February next year.
Watch the last leg of the construction journey (April-October 2014) in timelapse here.
Many UTS staff have been closely involved in the project from day one. A big congratulations goes to the Program Management Office (PMO) team who lead the project along with countless others from across the university: Facilities Management Operations (FMO), ITD and Audio Visual Services (AVS), UTS Legal, Teaching and Learning, Alumni and Development and, of course, the UTS Business School.
A special mention also goes to design architects Gehry Partners LLP, executive architects Daryl Jackson Robin Dyke, and building contractor Lend Lease.
The dramatic Dr Chau Chak Wing Building as it looks today
The dramatic Dr Chau Chak Wing Building as it looks today
Building access: start of teaching Semester 1, 2015
The wait is finally over (well, almost). New buildings are highly complex to operate – particularly one as state-of-the-art as this one – and it will take time to fully commission the sophisticated AV and IT systems. Business School staff are also preparing to move in later this month.
As a result, general access to the building will be restricted until the start of Semester 1, 2015 (23 February, 2015).
Only Business School staff and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students will have access to the building via their new staff and student cards following their relocation.
A community open day is planned for the weekend of February 6 and 7, which will give the UTS community and general public a chance to explore the building for the first time. More details to come.
We appreciate your patience while the Business School settle into their new home and final preparations take place ahead of the start of teaching in February next year.
Making a treehouse home: staff move in
More than 300 staff and HDRs from two campuses will move into the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building over two weekends from November 28.
The move is particularly exciting as it will consolidate the UTS Business School – which is currently split between the city and Kuring-gai campuses – under the one roof for the first time.
Unique spaces facilitate a new model of teaching and learning
In Frank Gehry’s words, the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building was built from the ‘inside out’. The exterior of the building may be nothing short of jaw-dropping, but it is the internal learning and research spaces that are truly inspiring.
Here is a summary of the main teaching, learning and research spaces:
Auditorium (level 2)
A 240-seat auditorium, available as a general space for public events, is the largest single space within the building, and is equipped with an advanced audio-visual system and video-conferencing facilities.
Oval classrooms (levels 2–3)
These general teaching spaces are constructed from large laminated timber beams. Forming an oval shape, the high-tech classrooms are designed to facilitate interaction and dialogue between teacher and students, with each tiered space seating almost 60 people. The technology in the classroom includes six-screen projection, touch-screen audio-visuals, microphones and speakers.
Computer labs (levels 2–4)
The building accommodates a variety of computer labs, most notably a 40-seat PC lab on level 3 fitted out to simulate a typical trading room and a behavioural lab situated on level 4.
Seminar rooms (levels 2–5)
Eleven seminar rooms are clustered on the lower floors of the building. These general teaching spaces seat up to 40 students at a time, with flat floors and movable furniture allowing for flexible configuration.
Collaborative theatre (level 3)
A similar size to the auditorium, this flexible general teaching space has capacity for 120 people, with seating arranged in two rows per tier. This enables students in the front row of each tier to turn and face the row behind for discussion and group-work. The space features multi-screen, high-definition projection and touch-screen audio visuals. There are also microphones along each workbench (one between two) to assist with student discussion in large classes.
Upcoming milestones
- Faculty relocation – late November 2014 onwards
- Cafés open – mid-February 2015
- Classes commence – Semester 1, 2015
