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National Centre for Health and Wellbeing - information for local residents

Introduction

Australian Catholic University (ACU) Melbourne Campus (St Patrick's) occupies a prominent location in the City of Yarra on Victoria Parade, Fitzroy. The campus extends north along Young Street and includes Central Hall, the Christ Lecture Theatre and the Mercy Lecture Theatre between Duke Street and Graham Street, Fitzroy. The campus is located on the edge of Melbournes CBD and is in a location that is very well served by public transport with convenient access to the City and all its facilities.  

As the next stage of its development, ACU is planning to re-orient its Melbourne presence to become the Fitzroy Precinct with strong growth in existing programs and the introduction of new courses in Media/Communications, Occupational Therapy, Paramedicine and Public Health. This will increase numbers to 7,500 equivalent full time students by 2016.

The centrepiece supporting ACU's growth will be the creation of the National Centre for Health and Wellbeing that will occupy ACU's new building on Young Street. The New National Centre for Health and Wellbeing will occupy a vacant site on the west side of Young Street between the St Vincent's Hospital multi-deck car park and a large electrical substation and Duke Street. Download the arial view of the site (JPEG, 403kb).

The building will contain state of the art learning and research facilities as well as greatly enhanced student amenities. The new centre will have a total floor area in the order of 13,680 sqm and includes a basement, ground floor with mezzanine, 7 additional occupied levels and roof plant. The building has been designed by leading architects Woods Bagot and will make a positive contribution to the built form of the area. The building has been designed to read as part of the complement of academic buildings that comprise ACU's Melbourne Campus.

ACU is also committed to enhanced ESD outcomes for the new building. The building has been designed to achieve a 6 star rating under the GBCAs Green Star Education v1 tool. Roof mounted wind turbines and ample bicycle parking are visible evidence of the buildings ESD credentials.

Vision Statement

"This new facility will celebrate the Health sector within the University and champion a global shift to a more sustainable environment.

The creation and development of a new 6 star rated building is a significant contribution to the campus and further expands a student-focused approach to delivering learning and teaching.

The Melbourne Campus will now have a consolidated campus with a strong sense of address to Brunswick Street and Young Street."

Architect's Statement

ACU's National Centre for Health and Wellbeing is a low-energy use research and teaching facility that will aim to create new standards in energy efficiency design, while providing an attractive social and working environment. It is designed to integrate general teaching and high-level research by enhancing collaboration and creativity.

The building section expresses its programmatic organization; the faculty offices are accommodated within the northern component on a level by level basis around a light filled atria and circulation core. Flexible teaching facilities are largely within the southern component. Download the section illustrating the atrium and indicative vertical distribution of building program (JPEG, 261kb).

The ground and mezzanine floors are occupied by the cafe bookshop, lecture theatre, which overlook Young and Duke Streets. While the Chapel and clinics overlook towards Brunswick Street. The main approach to the building creates pedestrian access which links Little Victoria Street via Young Street through to Brunswick Street. 

Apart from the teaching and faculty spaces, the other important feature of the building is a landscaped roof terrace at level 6, overlooking Fitzroy towards the north. With it jagged profile roof referencing Fitzroy's industrial past, these create a weather protected amenity for staff, students and friends to enjoy. The roof terrace in conjunction with the ground level activities will enable the building to become a focal social centre for the area.

The building creates its architectural presence using a natural palette of materials of contrasting concrete, brick, zinc and glass. The simplicity and directness of these materials reference Fitzroy's historic and modern fabric. The design draws on this, by articulating them in an honest and authentic manner.

Context

Well embedded within its urban context, the project site informs the design to mediate between the different urban conditions, and creates strong connections both with the existing uses and surrounding architecture.

The building mass and height interprets the qualities inherent in both the brief and the location. Its different staggered volumes step up towards the south, creating an asymmetric and changing silhouette as viewed from around the surrounding environments.

The site is located just outside the Central Business District to the north of Victoria Parade. It is significant that the site exists within an emerging 'built form height transition corridor' which has a higher built form from the predominant two storey built height of Fitzroy to the north of the site. Download the map view (JPEG, 116kb). 

This height transition corridor creates the opportunity for the proposed development to have a considered stepped built form and height which can contribute to the skyline of emerging transition corridor. 

The urban area around the site has varied building heights. The site is located just on a transition of building heights, with primarily low-rise residential to the north, and commercial buildings to the South. The building heights generally step up towards Victoria Parade and frame the large avenue of Trees along Victoria Parade.

Download the plan for the building in context of other building heights in the area (JPEG, 193kb)

Environmentally Sustainable Design

"A high emphasis is to be placed on providing an excellent indoor environment quality in the building along with a similar focus on sustainability. The aspiration of the development is to achieve a 6 Star Green-Star rating using the Education v1 Design tool."

ACU's National Centre for Health and Wellbeing is a low-energy use research and teaching facility.

ESD initiatives that have been incorporated into the design includes:

High Performance Facade

  • High Efficiency Windows
  • Optimised Shading Design
  • Façade Integrated Air-Intakes for the Air Conditioning System

Underfloor Air Distribution System

  • 100% Outdoor Air System
  • High Efficiency for Heating and Cooling
  • Easy Occupant Control over Local Environment

Active Mass Cooling Using Concrete Slabs

  • Silent Radiant Cooling
  • Extremely Low Energy Requirements
  • Provides high comfort and climate stability

Optimised Indoor Environment Quality

  • Low VOC and Formaldehyde Material Selection
  • 100% Single Pass Outside Air Supply
  • High Daylight Penetration
  • High Quality Artificial Lighting

High Water Efficiency

  • 5 Star and 6 Star Fittings
  • Rainwater Harvesting and Re-use for Toilet Flushing
  • Air Conditioning Plant Heat Rejection using Evaporative Systems (3C cooler)
  • Fire System Test Water Recycling
  • Sub-Surface Landscape Irrigation

Sustainable Transport Solutions

  • Cyclist Facilities for Students and Staff, including Secure Bicycle Parking, Showers and Lockers
  • Good Access to Public Transport (Tram and Trains)
  • Clear and Efficient Pedestrian Access to and from the Building

Renewable Energy Technologies

Sustainable Materials

  • Reduced Embodied Carbon Concrete and Steel
  • Recycling of Waste Materials

Download the architectural drawings illustrating the environmentally sustainable design (JPEG, 247kb)

List of Drawings

List of Perspectives

Traffic Report (PDF, 2.2mb)

Any further queries can be directed to Sarah Griffiths of Yarra City Council
Tel: 03 9205 5363
or email sarah.griffiths@yarracity.vic.gov.au