Bio Innovation Hub, Bundoora
Client
La Trobe University
Type
Education, Health, Research & Laboratories
Scope
Purpose built laboratory and office facility. Includes: PC2 laboratories, temperature-controlled storage and shared, common laboratory equipment; Private office and hot-desking options, kitchen, meeting spaces and storage
Location
On Wurundjer-Willam Country
Bundoora, VIC
Outcomes
Critical Biotechnology Industry Infrastructure
Located on level 3 of the Jenny Graves building, La Trobe University’s Bio Innovation Hub is designed to meet the research and infrastructure needs of Melbourne-based start-up and SME biotechnology companies by offering the laboratory and office space required to translate discovery research to ‘proof of concept’ and commercial products.
In response to industry demand the Hub provides flexibly scaled PC2 Labs and associated support spaces that are either missing or at capacity in Victoria’s biotechnology ecosystem. It provides critical support for the commercialisation of research, including maintaining and attracting biotechnology IP and human capital in Victoria.
Designed to perform
- Provision of a variety of lab scales and types to enable flexible tenant occupation and usage
- Immersive technology-based environments
- A collective hub bringing together students, industry, researchers, and community
- Highly flexible and adaptable
- Places emphasis on the user experience in the design of the environment
Adaptive Re-Use and Refurbishment
This project was part of a complete overhaul and re-life of an existing 1960’s 4-storey brutalist education building in parallel with the insertion of best practice specialist digital and wet laboratory environments (See Digital Innovation Hub and Jenny Graves Re-Life Projects)
The existing building was fully upgraded to comply with current code with strategic additions to improve amenity and usability.
This transformation enables the life of this building to be extended for at least another 30 years, whilst the re-use strategy, significantly reduces the carbon footprint involved in an equivalent new build approach.
