Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’s (RMIT) Swanston Academic Building (SAB), located in the heart of Melbourne’s central business district, is home to the university’s College of Business.
Spanning 35000m2 across 11 levels and accommodating up to 10,000 students and 850 staff, the building creates a series of social and learning engagement spaces which help foster a new type of collegiate environment between academic staff and students, facilitating mentorship and collaboration.
AECOM provided mechanical, electrical (including communications and security), fire protection services, fire engineering, hydraulics, vertical transportation, audio visual and environmentally sustainable design on the $200 million world-class learning and teaching facility.
Designed by Lyons Architects, the building has achieved a 5 Star GreenStar Education V1 design rating, with environmental features including mixed mode ventilated student break out spaces, demand driven conditioning systems, and integration into the RMIT district chilled water system.
AECOM services engineering team leader Shu-Hsin Soong said the SAB set a new benchmark in learning innovation. “This vertical campus further incorporates RMIT into Melbourne’s urban fabric, providing a new model for integrating learning, social and retail spaces in response to the ‘generation next’ student experience,” she said.
Awards
- Australian Construction Achievement Award
- Premier’s Sustainability Award for Infrastructure and Buildings
- CBRE Property Development Award
- Property Council of Australia (PCA) Innovation & Excellence Award’s “Best Public Building”
Partners: Lyons Architects