Building a whole new community on campus.
The four new student accommodation buildings at Callaghan Campus were built for $80 million and completed in time for the 2015 student intake. The 335 state-of-the-art apartments increased the on-campus population from 980 to 1700 in 2015 which was more than some Newcastle suburbs.
The 780-bed facility is made up of four contemporary eight-storey towers that complement the bushland setting. There are varying apartment layouts, including studio, one, two, five and six bedrooms, with 24 accessible rooms in all layout options. An extra 400 car parking spaces were created on campus with secure storage facilities for a further 70 bikes.
Each of the four towers has three residential wings which return to a common ‘core’ space used for communal learning or leisure. And while each provides mostly studio-style apartments, the mix of two, five and six-bedroom options have shared kitchens, living spaces and bathrooms.
We were involved in all elements of construction and fitout, right down to the desks, beds, wardrobes, chairs, self-storage and broadband internet connection in bedrooms.
- Customer
University of Newcastle - Location
Newcastle, New South Wales - Specialisation
Education & research - Start
January 2013 - End
February 2015
This project was made by locals, with over 75% subcontracted work going to Hunter-based companies.
The team introduced significant cost savings to bring the project to budget prior to the commencement of the works. These included simplified precast panels for the façade, which reduced the cost of the panels, reduced the manufacture time and reduced the cost of the installation.
The buildings have a 4 Star Green Star rating, largely due to the fact that the buildings do not require air conditioning. The team incorporated precast hollowcore planks for the floor slabs which allow cross flow ventilation for cooling. In summer, by using the thermal mass of the hollowcore panels, the air is cooled upon entering the room, thus eliminating the requirement for air conditioning.
