New projects and awards kick-start our 2021

It has been a busy start to 2021 for the H2o team, with several of our projects entered into this year’s Australian Institute of Architecture Awards, including the new high-tech Research Building for UTS, described as a space for “big ideas and big breakthroughs”. The new facility meets the increasing demand for high-tech research space on the campus.
 

Also entered into this year’s awards is our recently completed Montrose Primary School Gymnasium, an exceptional new facility for a much-loved school and its community. Designed to respond to the character of the Dandenong foothills, not only does it provide a full competition grade basketball court with spectator seating, a fork-to-fork kitchen garden program, unisex facilities and flexible learning environments, but it also acts as a designated bushfire shelter.
 

Our final entry is Deakin KA5, a completely new, contemporary workspace for the university’s Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE). Designed to infill an underutilised courtyard, we transformed three floors of Building KA to accommodate projected growth in staff and Higher Degree by Research (HDR) student numbers. Importantly, the project also shepherds in Deakin’s Workspace Principles, providing an effective, engaging, and efficient workspace that responds to the different ways people work.
 

Awards winners are due to be announced June 2021.
 

Thank you to Architecture & Design for recently featuring our Montrose Primary School Gymnasium project. With a confident new street identity, our core idea was to respond to the character of the Dandenong foothills. We eschewed a typical skillion roof for an asymmetrical ‘broken back’ ridge, running in the short direction to reference the billowing landscape. Photo by Trevor Mein.

Our Deakin KA5 project, a completely new, contemporary workspace. A dramatic central spheroid light well, large glazed sawtooth roof ridges, and voluptuous ceiling valleys break up the rigidity of the interior and draw light deep into the floorplan and lower level. Photo by Kane Jarrod.

Our recently completed New Science Research Facility for UTS meets the increasing demand for high-tech research space at universities. Our design approach adopts a theatrical, engaging, and inviting research environment, the outcome delivering purpose-built research laboratories to achieve high-impact research at a globally competitive scale. Photo by Tyrone Branigan.