SMART Building uses Gyprock EC08 at the University of Wollongong

The University of Wollongong is the recipient of Australia’s first Simulation, Modelling and Analysis for Research and Teaching (SMART) centre, housing 30 state-of-the-art laboratories. The building is targeting a 4 Star Green Star Rating and used Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD) strategies, such as CSR Gyprock’s EC08 Impact, to ensure it meets that target.

The SMART Infrastructure’s focus is to provide the data and analytical capability to successfully create and execute a national integrated infrastructure plan for Australia.

Completed earlier this year, construction of the $40million SMART Infrastructure Facility building was commenced in April 2009 by Cockram Constructions and was officially opened in August 2011.

The SMART building was designed by Graham Bell & Bowman Architects (GBB), whose brief was to house the existing engineering faculty workshop facilities and create a new infrastructure facility, while targeting a 4 Star Green Star Rating. The building is to have an emphasis on linkage, collaboration and transparency, whilst creating a connection between students, academic and research staff and the facilities within the building.

Today, the four-storey research and teaching building spans across 12,000sqm and accommodates up to 150 research staff. Its 30 specialist research laboratories focus on a wide range of infrastructure services such as electricity, energy, water, gas, transport, rail and road. These laboratories are all connected by a simulation centre which can generate powerful scalable models of various infrastructure services.

GBB Directors, Terry Graham and Graham Betts, headed the team responsible for the task. Graham Betts says, “Our inspiration for the design was driven by a desire for transparency of the external envelope and internal walls, creating a light-filled environment that connects with its surroundings and promotes connectivity and collaboration.”

The University’s SMART Infrastructure Facility building incorporates many ESD strategies, including rainwater harvesting and a mixed mode ventilation system, ensuring the facility achieves its Green Star Rating.

CSR Gyprock EC08 Impact was chosen for a number of factors. All levels of the building had Gyprock EC08 installed, except the ground level where fibre cement was specified due to the heavy engineering workshop areas.

EC08 Impact is one of three boards in the EC08 range that carry the Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) certification and can contribute to Green Star points in the Green Building Council Australia’s calculators.

EC08 Impact boards are produced with the highest level of recycled content found in the Gyprock standard or fire rated plasterboard. They can be recycled rather than adding to the growing waste problem.

Graham Betts says, “Gyprock EC08 was selected because the product not only contributes to Green Star Rating points while also offering fire rating properties, it is less likely to be damaged and can offer acoustic properties.

“Gyprock EC08 is cost effective and easy to work with, yet still provides a good level of impact resistance with the environmental advantages attached.”

The project also features other ESD inclusions such as: low-VOC carpets, paints and sealants, energy efficient lighting, BMS monitoring of energy and water usage, solar hot water and photovoltaic panel power generation to supplement the conventional power supply.

“I’m really pleased with the end result of the SMART building, in particular the way the building sits within the campus environment, the environmental measures incorporated into the building design and the quality of the internal public spaces,” says Graham Betts.