flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

The Starchitect of Oz: New Gehry building in Sydney celebrates topping out

The Starchitect of Oz: New Gehry building in Sydney celebrates topping out

Sustainabile facility combines a complex façade with a trunk-and-branches organizational plan.


By BD+C Staff | January 17, 2014
The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building is Frank Gehry's first project in Sydney. All ima
The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building is Frank Gehry's first project in Sydney. All images courtesy Gehry Partners LLP.

The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology, Sydney, will mark Frank Gehry's debut project in the Australian metro. The 12-story, $150 million project will serve the university's Business School and is being built by Lend Lease.

Gehry says the design, which is a bit reminiscent of his Stata Center at MIT, was inspired the trunk-and-branches arrangement of a tree. The main structure has been completed and work has begun on the façade--as usual with Gehry, a complex proposition. About 320,000 bricks will be hand-laid to achieve a crinkled effect, guided by extensive BIM analysis. The UTS civil engineering labs collaborated with Chinese partners to create and test prototypes for the brick work. The building's west side will feature huge panes of reflective glass.

As with many new Australian facilites, this one incorporates a green focus. High-performance glazing will combine with energy- and water-efficient engineering, including a 20,000-L rainwater tank. The building is aiming for 5 Star status in the Green Star sustainability certification program.

Part of a 10-year master plan for the campus, the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building is scheduled to be completed this year. 

Related Stories

| Oct 4, 2012

Gilbane publishes Fall 2012 construction industry economic report

Report outlines fluctuation in construction spending; predicts continued movement toward recovery.

| Oct 3, 2012

Fifth public comment period now open for update to USGBC's LEED Green Building Program

LEED v4 drafts and the public comment tool are now available on the newly re-launched, re-envisioned USGBC.org website.

| Oct 2, 2012

Mirvish and Gehry unveil conceptual design to transform Toronto’s entertainment district

Reimagining of King Street Entertainment District supports Toronto’s cultural corridor.

| Oct 2, 2012

Dow Business Services Center building named 2012 “America’s Best Buildings of the Year” winner

Building constructed with air sealing and insulation products from Dow Building Solutions.

| Oct 2, 2012

Bernards working on project at L.A. White Memorial Medical Center

The new facility is a $15-million, 41,000-sf concrete structure which includes three stories of medical office space atop a three-level parking garage.

| Oct 1, 2012

Tyco completes separation process, now largest pure-play fire protection and security business

Tyco Integrated Security focused on delivering security solutions to commercial businesses.

| Sep 28, 2012

Seattle is home to first LEED-certified modular radiation center

By using modular construction and strategic site design, RAD Medical Systems built the first radiation center to receive LEED certification.

| Sep 26, 2012

EDITORIAL OPPORTUNITY – BD+C Greenbuild 2012 Issue

Your firm is invited to contribute to this special issue, which will be distributed at Greenbuild San Francisco, Nov. 14-16, 2012.

| Sep 24, 2012

Reed Construction completes Lafarge headquarters in Chicago

Reed Construction was contracted to complete the full third floor build-out which included the construction of new open area work space, private offices, four conference rooms with videoconferencing capabilities and an executive conference boardroom.

| Sep 24, 2012

Chicago Lakeside shortlisted for the Sustainia Award

The “Lakeside Idea” is about bridging a brownfield industrial past to a green lifestyle future, from steel mill to innovation mill.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Resiliency

U.S. is reducing floodplain development in most areas

The perception that the U.S. has not been able to curb development in flood-prone areas is mostly inaccurate, according to new research from climate adaptation experts. A national survey of floodplain development between 2001 and 2019 found that fewer structures were built in floodplains than might be expected if cities were building at random.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021