a Highly Expressive of Electrical Engineering Building

The project involved the thoughtful refurbishment of the existing UNSW Electrical Engineering Building, a highly expressive building located in the academic heart of the UNSW’s Kensington Campus.

The project team balanced the functional needs of 21st century learning and research environments with an appreciation of the original building character and an ambition to ‘reveal electrical engineering through transparency, materials and light’.

This approach guided a series of careful interventions in the building fabric that removed double loaded corridors and replaced them with a variety of both fixed and flexible teaching, research and social environments. Large window reveals reinforce the building’s character, allow daylight deeper into the interior and provide both informal study areas and better access to views of University Mall. Building services are upgraded and the roof is crowned with a reflective and transparent veil that screens the necessary plant rooms, while at the ground level the interior spaces are augmented by a new informal outdoor learning amphitheater.

The project has enabled the building to efficiently service future generations of learners in contemporary spaces that support UNSW’s ambition for academic excellence, social engagement and global impact.

Project Information

Architect: Hassell

Photography: Brett Boardman