A Dual-Purpose Environment for Innovation and Connection

HDR is leading the design of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) E25 Biolink redevelopment — a transformative upgrade to the Kensington campus that reimagines underutilised spaces into cutting-edge facilities for biomedical research and learning.

Conceived as a dual-purpose environment, the project seamlessly integrates advanced scientific infrastructure with spaces that foster connection, well-being, and collaboration. The design reflects UNSW’s ambition to be a globally recognised, research-intensive university, combining complex high-performance laboratories and teaching areas with architectural strategies that maximize natural light, transparency, and visual connectivity across the campus.

Adaptive Reuse With Purposeful Design

As an adaptive reuse of a 1970s building with constrained floorplates, the redevelopment introduces double-height neighborhoods. These vertical volumes create dynamic learning landscapes that encourage interaction and connection: between people, between indoors and outdoors, and between students and researchers.

Grounded in Place

Grounded in a sensitive response to place, the design draws inspiration from the site’s relationship to water, the coastline, and the sandstone geology — elements of deep cultural significance to the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Bidjigal people. Through innovation, sustainability, and thoughtful campus integration, the design transforms a once-overlooked structure into a vibrant hub for interdisciplinary discovery and collaboration.