University of Newcastle - Design Building

This University of Newcastle project sought to repurpose the existing Peter Stuchbury designed Design Faculty building. Built in 1994, the building originally housed the Design Faculty, but in order to accommodate the changing needs of the university, the building needed to be repurposed to become a staff building for UoN’s IT services, a project which required extensive reworking of the interiors.

Northrop collaborated with LahzNimmo Architects to develop a design which remained true to the industrial nature of the original building, with large portions of the building naturally ventilated, paying homage to the Peter Stuchbury design, as well as creating a functional workplace. With linear LED lighting, industrial fans to maximise airflow and exposed services, the workplace maintains the unique original features whilst meeting modern engineering standards. With a central void linking the circulation space, stairs and breakout areas, the fitout retains the sense of scale with visibility to the original sawtooth ceiling.

Through extensive consultation with the stakeholders for UoN, Northrop delivered a workspace that met the technical requirements for the IT services staff, as well as supporting the flexible environment required in a modern fitout. Each room of the building maintains the original industrial aesthetics, often varied between spaces, linking the building holistically with a universal design approach.

 

Client Name
LahzNimmo Architects / University of Newcastle
Construction Value
$5 million

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