Location: New South Wales, Australia.

Architect: HDR Inc. & Ian Moore.

The University of Sydney is developing a Health Precinct on its Camperdown campus to address challenges facing the Australian healthcare system and place its graduates at the forefront of health innovation, learning, and policy. The Stage 1 Health Precinct Redevelopment aims to consolidate and accommodate the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, and the Sydney Medical School’s Central Clinical School into a single facility fostering contemporary pedagogical approaches. The project seeks to provide ambulatory patient care within an active teaching environment and facilitate collaboration with the nearby Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and other associated research institutions. The urban and architectural response is driven by the Wingara Mura Design Principles, which aim to value the indigenous culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The proposal is organized around four linear volumes bisected by the original north-south creek alignment and a new access to the Charles Perkins building, establishing a layer of permeability through the site. Stage 1 is formed by two linear blocks connected via a light-filled atrium, which is the defining architectural space within the building and creates a highly visible and internalized civic space. The rational and pragmatic approach to zonal planning focuses on the notion of “natural integration and interaction,” where the importance of the journey and the spaces “in between” is prioritized. Movement through the building and between floors is prompted by stairs and bridge links, offering informal meeting areas and breakout spaces. The buildings are restrained glazed blocks with an homogeneous layer of concrete louvers, which act to unify the volumes and respond to each façade orientation. The atrium is conceived as a recessed glass sleeve mechanically operated to allow for natural ventilation and night purge of all common areas. Key to the design concept is the integration of each of the building elements so that the building absorbs and reveals the diversity of its uses.

Photo credit: HDR Inc.