WilkinsonEyre was appointed together with SKM, now owned by Jacobs Engineering, in autumn 2010 to design a new building for Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.

The new building, located on the University’s Hawthorn Campus, is a centre of excellence in manufacturing innovation and collaborative learning that embraces state of the art design, reflecting Swinburne University’s reputation as a leading research institute with strong technology and business connections.

The bold, landmark design comprises a six storey block floating above a retained Victorian façade at street level. Sculpted vertical fins, inspired by engine turbine blades, are modelled to achieve optimum solar shading while achieving transparency and an ethereal three-dimensional shape to the outer skin of the building.

The building has been designed using Revit, a Building Information Modelling (BIM) software programme, with the entire design team working within a single co-ordinated computer model.