Research Into Reality

On Australia’s National Science Week, Australian Design Review sat down with HDR Senior Laboratory Planners Amy Papas and Simone Benvenuti to discuss the complexities of designing spaces for translational research, the fusion of science and architecture, and the importance of providing solutions to unequal representation in the STEM profession.

In the article titled "Research into Reality," Amy and Simone unpack their journeys to becoming laboratory planners, deep dive into the complexities of design laboratories, and discuss the importance of inspiring the next generation of women so we can design and deliver equitable and wellness-driven laboratory spaces for years to come.

Sydney Biomedical Accelerator

As project lead of the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator, a world-class biomedical precinct co-located at the University of Sydney and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital that is being delivered in partnership with Health Infrastructure, Sydney Local Health District, the University of Sydney and design partners Denton Corker Marshall, Amy examines the intersection between clinical research and practice, and the acceleration of the biomedical process that flexible and efficient lab design can enable.

CSIRO's Australian Centre of Disease Preparedness 

In partnership with Wood and Aurecon, HDR is currently designing a series of high-containment laboratory spaces for the refurbishment of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's Australian Centre of Disease Preparedness. As project lead, Simone unpacks the key design drivers that are informing the project and discusses how the team has taken a traditionally inward-looking, closed building and created an extension of it that is deeply focused on functionality but is much more mindful of its context, architectural expression, connection to Country and nature, and consideration of amenity so that the workplace is grounded in well-being, nurture and care.

Balancing Performance & Innovation

Amy and Simone liken lab planning to putting a complex puzzle together or solving a Rubik’s cube and believe that by balancing performance and innovation we can design solutions to some of the most programmatically complex environments to plan, design and engineer.