bnr-state-library-victoria
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. AV Awards

Proudly Supporting Design Excellence Across Victoria

With the challenges posed by an increasing rate of densification in Melbourne, we’re proud to support our architectural clients with future-ready designs that can improve liveability in the city and create sustainable places for our communities to thrive in the future.

Guided by a design philosophy that responds to the architectural intent of a development, we help our clients enrich the built environment through projects that preserve the cultural and heritage history of buildings and connect communities with vital social infrastructure.

 

We proudly stand with the Architectural Institute of Architects (AIA) and its commitment to positively shape our future societies, and in recognising the innovative work that the design community provides for the built environment.

 

Following the recent Victorian Chapter Awards, we congratulate the winners and are honoured to have supported design excellence in the following projects:

img-state-library-victoria

Image courtesy: Patrick Rodriguez

STATE LIBRARY VICTORIA

Architects: Architectus and Schmidt Hammer Lassen

Developer: Development Victoria

Awards won: Melbourne Prize Award, Conservation Award for Heritage, Award for Public Architecture

In response to changing needs of the community, the State Library underwent major works to transform its public spaces and facilities, which required sensitivity to work within the existing heritage.
Our team supported the design with a new Mechanical Bauer System that has reduced the HVAC grilles on display, while new glass and metal balustrades were engineered in the Ian Potter Queen’s Hall and West link stair spaces, to meet current safety requirements and standards.

To learn more about involvement read the case study here.

WSP services: Mechanical, Electrical, Hydraulics, Structures, Civil, Facades, Fire Engineering, Sustainability

Click here to learn more about our role in helping to restore and conserve the State Library.

UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, THE IAN POTTER SOUTHBANK CENTRE

Architect: John Wardle Architects

Awards won: The Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture, Award for Educational Architecture

The University of Melbourne's new Ian Potter Southbank Centre brings together the Victorian College of Arts (VCA) and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (MCM) to create a vibrant new hub in the heart of Melbourne’s art culture precinct.

Our engineering design has helped the complex architectural features come to life, including the oculus, a six-metre diameter, horizontal rotating disc. The disc is formed in lightweight aluminium spokes, an outer ring and outer clad, with selected timber slats that align with the wall cladding.

WSP services: Structures, Civil, Facades

img-university-of-melbourne-ian-pottersouthbank-centre

Image courtesy: Mein Photography

img-ozanam-house

Image courtesy: Chris Matterson Photography

OZANAM HOUSE

Architect: MGS Architects

Awards won: Award for Urban Design

The redevelopment of VincentCare’s Homeless Resource Centre has delivered 120 housing units, with a focus on environmentally sustainable design, to provide crisis, transitional crisis and long-term accommodation for the community.

Our team helped to benchmark the development against the Green Star scheme, incorporating features that are equivalent to a Green Star – 5 Star outcome, which included:

  • low emission interior finishes
  • reduced impact construction materials
  • high efficiency lighting systems
  • rainwater capture and re-use
  • water efficient fixtures and fittings
  • double glazed windows and high levels of thermal insulation
  • secure bicycle parking
  • rooftop PV’s further supplement energy demand

WSP services: Building Services, Fire Engineering, Sustainability, Waste Management

MONASH UNIVERSITY, IAN POTTER CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS

Architects: Peter Elliott Architecture + Urban Design

Awards won: Award for Educational Architecture

One of Monash University’s foundation buildings, which includes the Alexander Theatre, underwent extensive refurbishment to improve its function and versatility, and now offers a flexible performance space with strengthened historical and cultural significance to the university.

An example of our support of the design team with improving its function, was upgrading the stage flying system to an automated system, including power flying and replacing the manual system.

WSP services: Building Services, Structures, Civil, Sustainability, Fire Engineering, Waste Management

img-monash-university-ian-potter-centre-for-performing-arts

Image courtesy: Greg Ford

img-trades-hall

Image courtesy: Eve Wilson

TRADES HALL

Architect: Lovell Chen

Awards won: Conservation Award for Heritage

The restoration of Australia’s oldest and largest Trades Hall involved refurbishment works to the heritage-listed three-level building, with a focus on revitalising its public spaces for the benefit of the wider community.

The works included upgrades to meet current building code compliance, such as the upgrade of the building services and installation of heating and cooling systems, while externally, steel mesh fall-prevention balustrades were installed on the exterior windows.

WSP services: Mechanical, Structures, Civil, Sustainability, Fire Engineering, Waste Management

REGENT THEATRE

Architect: Lovell Chen

Awards won: Creative Adaptation Award for Heritage

The Regent Theatre underwent major restoration and structural reconstruction to enable operational flexibility, which involved the reconfiguration of tiers and seating to create more space in the auditorium.

Our structural team helped to extend the dress circle balcony by 3.7 meters, without visible impact, by installing a large and segmented-curve, three-dimensional steel truss, that spans the auditorium and supports the sweeping front edge of the balcony extension.

WSP services: Structures, Mechanical, Fire Engineering

img-regent-theatre

Image courtesy: HiVis Pictures (Peter Glenane), courtesy of Lovell Chen

img-university-of-melbourne-old-quad

Image courtesy: Lovell Chen

UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, OLD QUAD

Architect: Lovell Chen

Awards won: Award for Sustainable Architecture

The redevelopment of the oldest building at the University of Melbourne’s Parkville Campus has restored it to its original form, while creating additional spaces to reactivate the building.

As part of its adaption and refurbishment, our structural team delivered strengthening works to improve the existing structure, while retaining the heritage design of this significant building.

WSP services: Structures

HOLME APARTMENTS

Architect: John Wardle Architects

Developer: Cbus Property

Awards won: Commendation for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

The 14-story mixed-use development comprises residential apartments, offices and a café on the ground floor, with a prominent 1920s industrial façade that has been retained on the lower three levels.

Our structural team ensured that the design would work within an the existing retained heritage façade, while also supporting other architectural features, including a 3-D brick wall in the podium and a geometrically-complex, curved edge on the apartment floors.

WSP services: Structures, Civil, Building Services, Specialist Lighting, Sustainability

 

img-holme-apartments

Image courtesy: Cbus Property

img-the-swift-science-technology-centre

Image courtesy: John Gollings, courtesy of McBride Charles Ryan

TOORAK COLLEGE, SWIFT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

Architect: McBride Charles Ryan

Awards won: Award for Educational Architecture

The design of this new educational building features a curved form, to reflect the interconnection between science and nature.

Our structures team undertook complex geometric modelling and analysis of the structural steel framing to provide the support for the roof and curved, sloping façade. We also supported the design team with creating the impression of the building floating above ground, which involved major steel truss elements concealed within the building to achieve the column-free corner.

WSP services: Structures

MONASH UNIVERSITY, CHANCELLORY BUILDING

Architect: ARM Architecture

Awards won: Award for Interior Architecture, The Henry Bastow Award for Educational Architecture, Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture

The new 10,000m2 Chancellery building, featuring an inviting cloister on the ground level for people to gather and three-levels of office and executive space, has been designed in accordance with the Monash University’s EcoAccord, incorporating Passive House principles.

Our structural team engineered the steel framed Clerestory roof, which clear spans over the central, multi-level atrium space, along with the exposed steel framed glazed stoa, providing a covered walkway to the cloister and integrated with a series of art columns.

WSP services: Structures, Civil, Fire Engineering, Waste Management

img-monash-university-chancellery

Image courtesy: Rhiannon Slatter courtesy of Monash University, ARM Architecture & Kane Constructions

MONASH UNIVERSITY, SABLE DROP TERRACE

Architect: Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

Awards won: Award for Urban Design

The new Sable Drop Terrace forms part of Monash University’s public realm improvement works at its Caulfield campus, which has enhanced pedestrian connectivity by linking and activating the new social spaces on the campus.

Our team undertook a major relocation of the building services to clear the services away from the amphitheatre environment, created by the new landscaped spaces, while visually, we engineered an exposed, fabricated steel-framed glazed canopy, cantilevering at 4m.

WSP services: Structures, Civil, Electrical, Hydraulics, Mechanical, Fire Engineering

NIGHTINGALE 2.0 – FAIRFIELD

Architect: Six Degrees Architects

Awards won: Commendation for Sustainable Architecture

The Nightingale housing model provides quality urban housing based on a triple bottom line outcome, delivering environmentally, socially and financially sustainable apartments for the community. Driven by rigorous environmentally sustainable design objectives, a key design feature of the second Nightingale development was creating a visual connection for occupants, and with the adjacent train station. 

Throughout our ongoing involvement with Nightingale housing developments, we continue to look for sustainable structural options in timber and prefabricated construction.

WSP services: Structures, Civil

 

For more information about our capability in Victoria, please contact, Phil Gardiner WSP’s Property and Buildings Melbourne lead.

 

To stay abreast of our latest news, publications, videos and posts, please follow us on LinkedIn.