Bioscience Building RMIT
This eventful building draws natural light into its heart.
Its north-south orientation and linear nature overlaid onto the existing contours of the site generates the idea of weaving landscape and building. This idea initiates studies of the cellular nature of the building with modules of research laboratories and teaching spaces being interrupted by events in the landscape which mark the point where topography crosses building.
The linear footprint is interrupted along its length by nodes that draw natural light into the centre, creating event spaces that relieve the crush of students and develop a visual connection to the landscape. An efficient and flexible central double loaded passage with flanking laboratory zones to each side allow good access to natural light and views.
A narrow linear building has potential to create a single, long, and unremitting passage by default. The extent of conventional passage with parallel walls is reduced by a shifting misalignment of walls expanding the passage width as you approach the event spaces. This experience is heightened by the introduction of controlled natural light via roof monitors into each of the spaces.
Within two of the event spaces a circular platform is suspended within the roof monitor as an informal discussion area accessed from the central bridge. The platform is wrapped with a corrugated fibreglass balustrade that also partially screens the space.
Within each a large couch is formed from vinyl to an amorphous shape suggesting a culture developing within a petri dish.
- Traditional Custodians Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people
- Collaborators Wardle in association with DesignInc Melbourne
- Location RMIT University, Bundoora Campus, Victoria
- Procurement Invitation
- Project Duration 1998 – 2002
- Floor Levels 2
- Floor Area 9,400m2
- Selected Awards
- Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings, RAIA 2002
…a building made powerful by a complexity of texture and detail, the clever manipulation of light and internal circulation spaces, and a masterly understanding of how to assemble a restricted palette of materials to create memorable architecture.
Jury Citation - Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings
This facility adeptly deals with issues of scale, context and purpose.
The Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary Architecture
A determined effort to enhance the working experience through natural light and outlook.
Graham Crist
The building stretches across a parkland setting of sporadic heritage redgum trees. The 120 metre long two storey façade became a backdrop for a new “field” of ‘T’ shaped sunshades in recycled redgum, concrete and black steel – an absent forest echoed in the new.
A series of reflective glass towers suggest landscape ribbons slicing through the building when viewed externally and also punctuate an internal streetscape with small piazzas.
The use of various glazing systems adds a dramatic feature to this building. Constant bands of clear and white glass run continuously along all of the laboratory spaces that span the length of the building.
At each of the courtyards formed by the light towers, a cranked reflective glass screen reflects the ground in its upper portion and the sky in its lower portion. The inversion of the natural order creates the appearance of the adjacent green fields traversing the building.
