The Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences (AHMS) building, which opened in 2017, is a new research laboratory and teaching facility for the University of Adelaide. It is located in the South Australian Health and Biomedical Precinct (Adelaide Bio-Med City precinct) alongside the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). This new $246 million facility, which was built with support from the federal government, brings together more than 1,600 students and over 700 researchers from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.
Designed by Lyons Architects, the AHMS building accommodates the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry and Public Health, and co-locates research groups from across the university. The building covers 13,000m2 , including state-of-the-art laboratory, teaching, research and clinical spaces. Specifically designed to transform the student learning experience and prepare future healthcare leaders for professional practice, the facility promotes flexibility and collaboration across health professions through the integration of adaptable learning and social environments. This wonderful new facility was also awarded the Engineers Australia Excellence Award in the Buildings and Structures category.
AECOM’s Melbourne and Adelaide offices worked collaboratively to provide mechanical and fire engineering, environmentally sustainable design and acoustics consultancy.
One of the core objectives for the AHMS building was to develop a building sustainability approach that responds to the university’s environmental aspirations, while providing an indoor environment to enable optimum comfort for occupants. In order to achieve the target of a 10 percent reduction in annual greenhouse gas emissions, sustainability interventions were integrated into all layers of the building’s form, fabric and function. These include:
- A high-performing façade to moderate the heat gain and loss to maintain comfortable conditions and conserve energy
- Water sustainability measures to reduce potable water use
- Fresh air ventilation control to maintain a high level of thermal comfort
- Integration of a cloud-based building information portal with the building management system to control energy intensity during peak and off-peak times.