Congratulations to Grimshaw, in collaboration with Monash University for winning four Victorian Architecture Awards for the Monash Woodside Building for Technology and Design. These awards include the illustrious Victorian Architecture Medal, the Victorian chapter of Australian Institute of Architect’s highest honour.
Custom high back modular lounges in collaborative hubs
The building is highly innovative in its approach to collaborative, technology-driven and flexible learning spaces, its construction methods and building services. In terms of sustainability, it is considered to be one of the largest certified Education Passivehaus buildings in the world. Large central skylights and a 50:50 window-to-wall ratio to manage heat from the sun, whilst 100% of the building’s electricity is generated from solar panels. Those solar panels connect directly into Monash University’s broader smart grid. In addition, the builder Lendlease used local labour and materials as much as possible, which reduced the amount of energy used in construction. These elements, among others, are integral to achieving Monash’s vision for net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. They also contributed to the judges awarding the building the Sustainable Architecture Award.
Locally-sourced structural steel is used on the building’s envelope with insulated Colorbond steel panels on the roof and façade. Internally it is used in exposed columns, beams and bracing. The latter strike an impactful yet visually unobtrusive presence throughout the “inside-out” style building and provides an immense sense of height and openness. This innovative use of steel throughout the exterior and interior building is what lead judges to award it the Colorbond® Award for Steel Architecture (VIC).
Custom tables and Struve chairs
The building’s ultimate function as a flexible educational facility for the benefit of students and teachers was of course integral to its design. The choices behind the building’s ultimate design and integrated technologies were driven by data and research, and the building acts an educational tool in its own right. Students can physically see how the structure has been engineered and how its services, technologies and environmental controls actually work. The judges awarded the building the Melbourne Award, considering the building “a skilfully executed building that illustrates a way forward and through the current climate crisis”* and as having a significant contribution to the local area and future generations.
Watson Commercial is proud to have worked with Monash and LendLease to produce a series of lounges, visitor chairs and tables throughout the building. Modular lounges are placed throughout the student breakout spaces and staff administration areas in colours that reflect the earthy tones of the building. Low back modulars are used to facilitate casual discussion, and high back modulars to envelop the user in more intense discussions. Tables were customised to suit informal discussion areas and workspaces – with and without integrated powerpoints and USB points, many fixed to the floor. A series of tables were customised in height to suit a sloped ramp.
Downstairs in the engineering laboratories, custom-made electrical lab benches were produced to enable students to work with tools on large mobile workbenches. Hundreds of High back Leo Mesh chairs were used in the staff admin areas and on the collaborative meeting tables.
To view some of our images of the project and our furniture, click here.
To read more about the building, its design intent and the subsequent awards in the 2021 Victorian Architecture Awards edition of Architect Victoria click here.
*Architect Victoria Architect : Victorian Architecture Awards ‘Jury Chair Report | Melbourne Prize’ p120