Architectus has designed a $17.5 million multi-use, purpose built facility for Contract Pharmaceutical Services Australia Pty Ltd at Eden Park, North Ryde.
The facility comprises 2,800 square metres of production space, 600 square metres of office space and car parking accommodation for 270 cars over two basement levels. The facility also has a further 4,800 square metres of additional space for another tenant.
Mr Ray Brown, Architectus director and lead project designer said the development posed three major architectural challenges: an extremely tight deadline of three weeks for initial concept through to development application; the need to provide both industrial and commercial space within the one facility; and, the need to create an aesthetic treatment for a specified seven metre high, windowless wall at the front entrance of the building.
“We had to put together the program concept in just three weeks. The design had to capture the aesthetic vision of the client as well as logistically cater for the building’s users – no small feat in such a constrained timeframe.” Mr Brown said.
“Essentially, we were creating a building which is an industrial facility with a commercial office on top. The challenge came in designing a building that could accommodate the separate uses without compromising the commercial aesthetics of the project.”
“We achieved this by providing two distinctly different entrances to cater for the differing security needs of the tenants and by giving prominence to the commercial component over the industrial”
Metal walls, roof sheeting, pre-cast concrete panels with various textures give the building’s exterior a modern yet functional aesthetic and sun shading have also been used to give depth to the façade.
“The building required a seven metre high exterior wall with no windows so we used textured treatments to add dimension and interest,” Mr Brown said.
The building was completed in December 2004 and is fully leased with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations taking the remaining 50 percent of office space.
This month, the building won the 2005 Professional Excellence Award for Ecologically sustainable construction in the $10 million to $50 million category by the Australian Institute of Building and it has been awarded 4 stars under the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating system.
