Denton Corker Marshall (DCM) and HDR have been appointed to deliver a new $478 million Sydney Biomedical Accelerator (SBA) – an integrated health, education and research precinct for The University of Sydney and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
DCM and HDR are working alongside landscape architecture and urban design practice Arcadia, and architecture, interior design and urban design practice Aileen Sage will collaborate with Indigenous community representatives and University of Sydney Indigenous Academic Staff to facilitate co-design processes throughout the project.
Life science precincts thrive on connectivity
The building will span 36,000 square metres around a central seven-storey circulation spine called the “Connector” over an open atrium space filled with laboratories, meeting rooms and workplace spaces. A physical bridge will for the first time connect the adjoining building.
Adrian FitzGerald, Denton Corker Marshall senior director told The Fifth Estate that the new biomedical research facility is an “ambitious” project that aims to connect USYD with NSW health infrastructure. It has been designed to facilitate the flow of ideas and collaboration that leads to groundbreaking medical discoveries in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
The life sciences industry in Australia is booming, with new precincts in development that encourage commercialisation of research by co-locating research facilities within the medical and university precinct, which enables a translation of discoveries directly into clinical trials and patient care.
HDR’s national director of education and science, Graeme Spencer, says collaboration allows translation of discoveries “from benchside to bedside” faster and more efficiently.
“Collaboration makes for faster outcomes and better patient outcomes. So many diverse aspects of science, medicine and innovation will be co-located. The synergy will be incredible.”
FitzGerald agrees: “connectivity was at the heart of design. Connectivity between researchers, undergraduate teaching, mixing between students, academic staff and researchers.
“It’s hoped that people will engage and interact in these spaces, exchange ideas and spark innovation.”
Indigenous design narratives
The design is being developed in consultation with the Walanga Wingara Mura Principles, which enables collaboration between Indigenous engagement at USYD, and stakeholder groups the university already engages with. Emerging design practice Aileen Sage will lead collaboration.
A design outcome of the Indigenous collaboration is the wavy green patterns in the facade of the building, a stylised smoke design drawing inspiration from First Nations healing ceremonies.
“It is important to have connection to Country and place, and recognise Traditional Owners from concept through to delivery,” HDR’s Graeme Spencer says.
Sustainability is tricky when it comes to lab design
DCM’s Adrian FitzGerald says the building aims to exceed a 5 Star Green Star rating, with a solar PV array, as well as a high performance façade and highly shaded glass areas to reduce thermal load.
The Connector faces north, with a large glass plate wall canted (or tilted) at an angle in response to an existing building beneath. This allows natural light to filter through projecting planter planks, which provides shade to the facade with integrated greenery.
“As a practice, we actively promote sustainability in all our projects, and often we innovate… We work closely with our sub-consultants to discover the most efficient systems for the building,” FitzGerald says.
The laboratories in this building are designed for what’s known as Physical Containment Level Two, which relates to the level of potential contamination that comes from the work that will be undertaken there.
HDR is the laboratory planning lead for this project and leads the interior architecture and research spaces.
“When we talk about laboratories, it’s so much more than what you think of as just lab benches,” Mr Spencer says. “There [will be] dry labs, research spaces, core facilities, education spaces, anatomy and surgical learning suites for 600 students.”
When you’re dealing with lab environments, there’s containment requirements. Genetically modified organisms, health research, and other bioengineering spaces are very complex and require strict environmental controls, he explains.
A significant energy demand will come from the need for physical containment, mechanical controls, gas services, and large equipment such as microscopes and incubators.
Mr FitzGerald says: “Laboratories are heavy on energy use because they require a high level of circulation to keep the air clean. There are clever ways of doing that, which include high efficiency aircon systems and heat exchanges.
The Green Lab global initiative
HDR is part of the My Green Lab global initiative working to reduce the high carbon footprint laboratory environments.
One of the problems with labs is that equipment needs to run constantly, and uses “an incredible amount of energy”.
Using on-demand systems, putting timers on equipment, implementing power saving modes in mechanical systems and variable airflow systems take a huge amount of energy off the building load.
Embodied carbon is a tough call in a lab – especially with timber
Another challenge in labs is the difficulty of reducing embodied carbon.
For instance it is not possible to use timber inside a lab because there are certain requirements.
Another requirement is that no direct sunlight ever hits a lab bench.
“It is critical for laboratory design that no sunshine ever hits a laboratory bench. In biomedical science, the sun could impact studies and investigations.
“These laboratories face south, but in summer the sun can swing around and hit the south side – hence the green shades.”
But wherever possible, sustainability solutions are used. “But when you’re dealing with chemicals and organisms and cells and tissues, you have to be able to clean everything,” Spencer points out.
“Timber soaks up the chemicals, absorbs from the air. Stainless steel interiors, corion, laminates, things that don’t absorb chemicals and are easy to wipe down. You’re dealing with really fine cells. You need a sterile environment. You’re dealing with containment. A clean and sterile environment. You must avoid cross-contamination that can impact research and data results.”
And when it comes to medical waste, you can’t bury it. It needs to be decontaminated with the use of autoclaves and incinerators. The bottom line is you can’t allow these infected products to escape into the public.
And of course there are the employees: the architects need to design for employee wellbeing, including natural daylight and movement between collaboration spaces.
Life science sector booming as Australia catches up with overseas research commercialisation
Both FitzGerald and Spencer say the life sciences sector in Australia is booming.
Australia is at the forefront of research and development, but the pandemic has put to light our reliance on overseas products and our lack of commercialisation. There’s now a drive to be able to manufacture our own therapies.
“In life sciences there’s amazing new discoveries at the cellular level. There is a huge market – $540 billion a year and Australia wants to lead that research,” Spencer says.
“There’s such a heightened level around our sovereignty and ability to develop and deliver therapies to our population. It’s great that government, university partnerships, and local health districts are collaborating. [There is] a lot of investment attracting international attention.”
The pandemic also had a dramatic impact on the university sector. Before the pandemic, tertiary education in Australia was the third largest export earner and during the lockdowns all construction stopped – except for in the biomedical life sciences sector.
“There’s a range of new projects under development. It’s definitely where the money and interest is at the moment.”
The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator is DCM’s eighth biomedical research centre in a list that includes the Biomedical Learning and Teaching Building at Monash University and the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery at Melbourne’s St Vincent Hospital (currently under construction).
HDR is involved with the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness and specialises in laboratory design. It has been involved in projects including a Western Sydney University education project, USYD’s Earth and Environmental Science building, NSW’s Viral Vector Manufacturing facility, which is the first of its kind in Australia.
Spencer says: “In this facility, the prime focus is research, development and commercialisation. That’s a big gap in the market. Australia has been amazing in research, but behind the world in commercialisation.”
It’s an opportunity to make a difference that really drives his work in biomedical lab design, Spencer says.
“We’re creating lab spaces for researchers doing truly vital research. That gets me really excited.
“How can we help to drive change in technology? A space where you feel inspired? Where cancer patients can see the researchers working and the workers can see the people they are helping? So there’s a stronger connection, and it’s showcased and empowered?
“From the benchside, to the bedside – that’s what’s amazing about this new precinct. Research, development and commercialisation, and clinical trials, all in one area.”