A collaboration with Gehry Partners to design a landmark building in Sydney

Engineering a complex building and façade

Inspired by a tree house, the stacked, undulating design features two major façade materials. The glazed western face that blends into the Sydney CBD background, and the curved brick exterior reflecting its opposing industrial Ultimo environment.

The façade’s irregular form is matched by the shape of the communal, office and lecturing spaces within. Each floor plate is tied to the façade at a uniform distance, creating spaces that mimic the waves of the building’s exterior. This irregularity creates a series of floor plates that are each completely distinct in size and shape.  

Sloping concrete columns intersect the perimeter slab edge at various angles, merging and diverging as they weave their way around the building’s perimeter. Architecturally, the building’s internal spaces are maximised, providing engaging environments for its occupants. 

To achieve the rolling aesthetic, the curved façade was constructed using individually laid bricks on waterproofed structural steel supporting frame. Our façade engineers worked closely with the sub-contractors to realise a practical, innovative and durable system that facilitated off-site fabrication and on-site assembly.

Using BIM and 3D modelling for design and construction

Service

Building Information Modelling (BIM)

We have previously worked with Gehry Partners and used the firm’s Building Information Modelling (BIM) software, Digital Project, on a number of projects including the Singapore Sports Hub and the National Stadium in Beijing. This technology was used to create a single shared model between all design consultants.

With staff in Sydney and a team member on site with the main contractor, Lendlease, Arup was able to respond quickly and effectively to the project’s design and construction demands, seamlessly interchanging between software platforms both in analysis, documentation and construction. This was particularly useful when resolving in-plane forces in the slabs and clash detection between the structure and other disciplines.

Our collaborative approach in both design and construction ensured that delivery proceeded with minimal disruption – a real triumph on such a complex and innovative building.

Site constraints and heritage in-ground infrastructure

The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building is located on the old Dairy Famers Warehouse site, which is constrained by adjacent buildings and an old heritage sewer system underneath the site.

Our geotechnical and structural engineers challenged the provided in-ground characteristics and achieved a cost-effective solution to constructing a basement within a contaminated and constrained site that had the potential to halt the completion of the project.

A green education building with sustainability credentials

The building is one of Sydney’s greenest education buildings, with the awarding of a 5 Star Green Star – Education Design v1 rating from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).

We were instrumental in achieving this by driving design elements including the high-performance glazing system, the specification of more sustainable construction material including material replacement in concrete, steelwork and reinforcement, using energy reducing processes and timber sourced from responsible sources.