Project Profile: Jane Foss Russell Building | USYD
A FRESH CONNECTION A dynamic new building at the University of Sydney heralds
By Jodie Thomson
a new era of modern architecture at the institution, while providing essential, functional facilities.
L
ike many universities around the world, the University of Sydney’s campuses display a hybrid of architecture styles. Historic, sandstone buildings from the university’s earliest days mix with structures from later decades. The latest addition to the university, the newly completed Jane Foss Russell Building, is an innovative example of contemporary, 21st century architecture. Located at the geographical heart of the university on the Darlington campus facing City Road, the eight-level building houses a new science and technology library, along with retail and student administration areas and a generous, outdoor public domain area. Conceived as a
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new ‘gateway’ to the university, the building also provides a visual and practical link to the Darlington and Camperdown campuses, with a new footbridge constructed across City Road. John Wardle Architects, who won an international design competition for the building, designed the building in association with GHD and Wilson Architects. The $50 million project, completed in September last year, was constructed by Abigroup. Along with providing much-needed space and updated facilities, the Jane Foss Russell Building brings a new standard of modern architecture and unprecedented levels of environmentally sustainable design to the university.
Image courtesy of Abigroup
Jane Foss Russell Building located on campus at University of Sydney
CONCEPTUALISATION + DESIGN
The conception of the building was triggered by more than just an urgent need for additional facilities at the growing university. It was seen as a design solution to the rather illogical way the university had grown over previous decades, with disjointed campuses and a lack of obvious pathways and connections between them. The location and design of the new building was intended to create a clear entry and connection point for students, between the Camperdown and Darlington campuses. The Jane Foss Russell Building, or Sydney Central as it was referred to until the last stages of construction, was intended to be a new gravitational centre for students . . . an
invitation to connect. John Wardle’s firm were assisted through the process, by GHD for the construction phase and by Wilson Architects for the schematic phase of the library. The building’s L-shaped structure incorporates the 4500sqm science and technology library sitting partially below ground and the 7500sqm of student services area in the levels above. At ground level are the 900sqm of specialist retail sites and the vast 3500sqm Maze Green public domain area. In terms of the scale and style of the design, the new building offers dramatic lines, textures and colours. A generous lobby area connects easily to the new footbridge, which provides a more inviting and user-friendly pathway
across City Road between the Camperdown and Darlington campuses, than the older, dated footbridge. The semi-subterranean library features gently terraced levels inside that look out to the vivid Maze Green. The most striking elements of the building are the multi-hued, glass facades, which vary in style on each side of the building. The greentinted plaza façade, with its colourful array of glass panels, was inspired by the canopy of heritage fig trees across City Road. The Maze Green façade is a blue glass curtain wall with a reflective, folded spandrel that reflects the tones of cloud and sky. The building also includes a mix of external balconies, terraced areas between floors and Award Magazine | 31
Image courtesy of Abigroup
Project Profile: Jane Foss Russell Building | USYD
Interior hallways are architecturally designed using precast concrete and glassworks
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There were no dramatic budget blow-outs and it was finished on time Terry Daly, University of Sydney
a range of sitting areas within its structure. These all add visual interest and inviting spaces in which to socialise and relax for students and university staff. The outdoor spaces of the building include the main plaza at the entry to the building, which incorporates an open-air amphitheatre that offers a venue for impromptu outdoor performance. South of this is a covered terrace providing sheltered outdoor space.
GREEN INITIATIVES
Along with its landmark architecture, the facility also offers ground-breaking levels of environmentally sustainable design (ESD) features, with a 5-star Green Star Rating. The most innovative of the ESD features is a unique form of cooling, using ‘chilled beams’ to cool the interior spaces. The chilled beam system, installed by the Hastie Group, is one of the first installed in Australia and offers vast energy savings compared with traditional airconditioning system – it’s expected to reduce overall energy consumption by 30%. It works by creating a ceiling system of beams, like long, thin radiators. When filled with cold water they create a convection effect, drawing up hot air and dumping cool air in a more even spread than regular air-conditioning. “It’s like a chilled radiator, and it’s very quiet, not like the hum of air-conditioning people are used to in an office,” says Chris Skeggs, senior project manager at Abigroup Contractors. Other ESD features in the building include solar panels on the roof, high-efficiency lighting used throughout, and sustainable materials including recycled steel and concrete and sustainably sourced timber. There’s an on-site
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rainwater tank located under the library, with collected water used for toilet flushing and irrigation. This is expected to result in a 60% reduction in potable water consumption.
CONSTRUCTION
For a modest-sized commercial building, it offered plenty of challenges to project managers and contractors during the construction phase. A tight timeline, complex mix of facades and materials, and the complication of building the new footbridge combined to create a difficult project. There was no significant demolition required on the site, and Abigroup took the job as a construct-only contract. A pre-contract period allowed Abigroup to get familiar with the project and do the careful pre-planning required to meet the time frames. “It was quite a complex building in a lot of ways,” says Abigroup senior project manager Chris Skeggs. “There were eight or nine different types of façade on a relatively small building. On the facades there were over 120 different types of panels, all different geometries, which created logistical challenges in terms of the time to get it all manufactured.” The glazed facades were manufactured by G-James and the precast façade by Hanson. Most complicated of all was constructing the new footbridge across Sydney’s busy City Road. The existing footbridge had to be demolished and the new bridge built in a 12-hour timeframe to meet council and Roads and Traffic Authority guidelines. The work was done after hours, on a weekend, starting at 10pm on a Saturday night, and finishing
the following day. Construction of the new bridge, built from precast concrete with its own façade, involved putting up two 80 tonne steel beams. “That was intense but we planned it carefully and it all went well,” Skeggs says. Another complicated element of the construction was the high volume of joinery required for the interior spaces, particularly in the library. The large metal and timber-framed shelving structures for the library were built and pre-assembled off-site by SBC Joinery, then taken apart and delivered to the site in a kit-style fashion, where they were then assembled again.
INTERIOR DESIGN
The most interesting interior design elements of the building are featured in the layout of the library. The purpose-built joinery shelves holding all the books are positioned at the back, partially underground section of the library. At the front, facing the large windows facing the green, open space, are the reading and working areas where people can enjoy the light and views. The open-air amphitheatre in the plaza above the library acts as a ‘lightscoop’ for the library’s bookshelves area, flooding the back area with natural light. The remainder of the library space is divided into multi-use areas, catering for quieter, private and formal work areas, through to more noisy, social spaces.
FINAL DELIVERABLE
Since its official opening in September last year the Jane Foss Russell building is almost completely functioning. The library is open, the student services staff have moved in and the retail tenancies are expected to be taken up soon. From the university’s perspective, the new building surpasses all the criteria detailed in the brief. “There were no dramatic budget blow-outs and it was finished on time,” says Terry Daly, director of Capital Development Campus Infrastructure Services at the university. “It’s an outstanding example of modern architecture and forms an important link in a heavily used pathway between Redfern station and the main campus.” A
Project directory | Jane Foss Russell Building | USYD GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd
Contact: Chris Skeggs 924 Pacific Highway Gordon, NSW 2072 P:02 9499 0999 F: 02 9499 3822 www.abigroup.com.au
Acoustics Consultant • PKA Acoustic Consulting Suite 16/401 Pacific Hwy Artarmon, NSW 2064 Carpet Supply • Harvey Norman Commercial Flooring 75d Camarvon Street Silverwater, NSW 2128 Concrete Finishes • Alpha Precast Concrete Products Contact: Ian Lucas 2/6 Dowling Place South Windsor, NSW 2756 P: 02 4587 7452 F: 02 4577 6711 P: 0417 457 117 www.precast-concrete.com.au Concrete Supply • Boral Concrete PO Box 42 Wentworthville, NSW 2145 Doors • Premium Doors Pty Ltd 17/108 Old Pittwater Road Brookvale, NSW 2100 Electrical Services Contractor • Heyday Group 9 Waterloo Road North Ryde, NSW 2113 ESD Consultant • Ecological Engineering PO Box A885 Sydney South, NSW 1235 Excavation & Civil Work • J.A.Bradshaw Civil Contracting Pty Ltd 7/20 Foundry Road Seven Hills, NSW 2147
Abigroup Limited is a major Australian contracting company that offers a wide range of services ranging from civil engineering to building, mining, water, mining, rail and telecommunications. Abigroup has earned its reputation as a leading contractor through a commitment to excellence, years of experience and a dedicated team made up of leaders in the construction field. The tier one contractor is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bilfinger Berger AG, one of the world’s top ten construction companies. Abigroup’s building division has been active in Australia’s property development and construction industry for over 45 years. Abigroup’s approach combines friendly professionalism with confidence and world-class expertise. Abigroup has earned its reputation as a leading contractor through a commitment to excellence, years of experience and a dedicated team made up of leaders in the construction and engineering fields. Abigroup is committed to environmentally sustainable and socially responsible development, focussing on safety and quality to ensure tomorrow’s future.
Fire Services SubContractor • Fire & Life Safety Pty Ltd Unit 30, 11-12 Underwood Road Homebush, NSW 2140 Formwork Subcontractor • Perform (NSW) Pty Ltd 16/65 Elizabeth Street Wetherill Park, NSW 2164 Hydraulic Consultant • Harris Page & Associated Pty Ltd Level 2/32 Carrington Street Sydney, NSW 2000
Roofing • Vostek Industries 298 Parramatta Road Ashfield, NSW 2131 Structural Engineer • GHD Pty Ltd 100 Bond Street Sydney, NSW 2000 Structural Steel • Australian Structural Steel 36 Day Street North Silverwater, NSW 2128
Landscape Architect
Tactile Indicators
• Taylor Cullity Lethlean 14-18 Holtom Street East Carlton North, VIC 3121
• DTAC Pty Ltd 479-481 South Road Moorabbin, VIC 3189
Landscaping • Bates Landscaping Services PO Box 974 Leichhardt, NSW 2040 Louvres • Email Ventilation 3 Hargraves Place Wetherille Park, NSW 2164 Mechanical Services subcontractor • Hastie Australia Pty Ltd Suite 2, Level 2, Quad 3, 102 Bennelong Road Homebush Bay, NSW 2127 Partitions, Internal Glass & Ceilings • Brighton Australia Pty Ltd 65 The Grand Parade Brighton Le Sands, NSW 2216
Tiling Subcontractor • Classic Tiles 183 New Canterbury Road Petersham, NSW 2049 Vinyl Flooring • JDC Flooring 18A Depot Road Peakhurst, NSW 2210 Windows/Curtain Wall Subcontractor • G.James Glass & Aluminium Pty Ltd Suite 401, Level 4, 100 Clarence Street Sydney, NSW 2000 zinc Cladding • Architectural Roofing and Wall Cladding Unit 6, 39 King Road Homsby, NSW 2077
Quantity Surveyor • Davis Langdon Australia Level 1, 100 Pacific Hwy North Sydney, NSW 2060
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