UNSW Materials Science & Engineering Building

Materials Science and Engineering Building, University of New South Wales Wetlab

UNSW Materials Science & Engineering Building

Leading the Way in Material Engineering

Regarded as one of Australia’s leading research and teaching universities, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) is an innovator in research ranging from materials production to the design, development, processing and recycling of materials for use in aerospace, transportation, electronics, energy conversion and biomedical systems. With the addition of the new Materials Science and Engineering Building, also known as the Hilmer Building, the school aspires to become Australia’s leading contributor to research and teaching in material engineering.

Key features include: 

  • The building celebrates “science on display” with abundant research and collaboration space.
  • Laboratory spaces make up the core of the facility and are transparent where possible, exposing the work of the scientists inside.
  • Surrounding the labs is a habitable “skin” consisting of meeting rooms, offices and breakout spaces designed to encourage knowledge sharing. 
  • The façade enclosing the facility draws inspiration from the school’s material science research, demonstrating new material innovations and reflecting the school’s material engineering advancements.

Architecture Design Team: HDR and Grimshaw Architects; Engineering Design Team: HDR and Steensen Varming

Materials Science and Engineering Building, University of New South Wales Wetlab
Client
University of New South Wales
Location

Sydney, NSW
Australia

Awards

International Architecture Awards, Winner (2017)
Schools and Universities Category
The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design | The European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies
New South Wales Architecture Award (2016)
Educational Architecture Category
Australian Institute of Architects, New South Wales Chapter