Division of Facilities Management

Major Current Project

National Life Sciences Hub

Project Brief

NaLSH will assist the integration of fundamental research with applied research and teaching, to build linkages between researchers and stakeholders (students, industry, producers) and to ensure effective problem identification and the development of improvements with immediate application to agricultural practice. NaLSH will create those linkages, building the critical mass to extend undergraduate/graduate training and improve interactions across local/national/international partners in research in food security and biosecurity.

The project has been facilitated by a successful EIF funding bid. The project is currently in detail design, with construction due to commence Q4 2010 and completion in Q2 2012.

The project is registered for a Green Star - Education Design v1 rating and is targeting a 5 star Green Star rating, representing Australian Excellence in sustainable building design. A number of specific processes and features have been incorporated to help achieve this rating ranging from a commitment for at least 80% of all demolition and construction waste being reused or recycled throughout the project, incorporation of a rainwater harvesting system and a predicted 35% reduction in the energy related greenhouse gas emissions associated with the operation of the building compared to a conventional design.

An historical record of the site will be recorded by the capturing of time lapse images of the site for the duration of the project. This is required for the information of funding and other bodies, as well as archival purposes. Please note that persons near the site may be inadvertently captured in these images.

Life Sciences Learning and Teaching Complex

Student teaching laboratories, PC2 compliant preparation/support facilities, audio visual/information communications technology (ICT) capacity supporting e-learning.

• 4 x 60 or 2 x 120 place (reconfigurable) teaching laboratories (PC2 capable)
• General instrument room

Life Sciences Collaborative Research Complex

Configured for undergraduate, honours and research students to support novel studies in molecular biology, proteomics, biomarker analyses, high through-put nanobody generation, protein crystallography, recombinant vaccines and genetic analysis of plant pathogen virulence and parasite drug resistance.

• 24 place research laboratory (PC2 capable)
• Acid lab, solvent lab
• Commercial environmental analytical laboratory undertaking NATA accredited water, soil and microbial sample analysis.
• 2 x 24 place PC2 laboratories
• Clinical stem cell lab
• Tissue culture facilities for primary tissue culture, parasitology, bacteriology, virology
• Radioisotope room
• Metabolomics lab
• 28 place laboratory - Quarantine Approved Premises

Phytotron and Glasshouse complex

Supports fundamental research and advanced plant phenotyping to understand the interactions within and between the soil, climate and plant biology.

• Glasshouse - Quarantine Approved Premises
• 2 x glasshouses
• Controlled environment facility for plant growth chambers

Integrated Field Laboratory

Rhizolysimeter complex and rainout shelters to support study of the dynamics of crops, soil processes, water usage and soil based carbon sequestration in the field environment.

• 2 x 36 core rhizolysimeters and associated time-domain reflectometry instrumentation.

Consultants

NaLSH

Project Director: Savills Project Management
Principal Design Consultants: BVN Architecture
Civil / Structural / Traffic: Taylor Thomson Whitting
Mechanical / Electrical / Gases / ESD: Umow Lai
Hydraulic / Fire: WSP Lincolne Scott
Head contractor: Joss Constructions

Integrated Field Lab

Project Director: Savills Project Management
Principal Design Consultants: Wright Barrat
Engineers: Wright Barrat
Head contractor: Zauner Constructions

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