School of Information Technologies
School of Information Technologies from Cleveland Street
Completion Date: June 2006
Digitally inspired design
Teaching and research facilities
Car parking
Improved surroundings
The first of the Campus 2010 projects to be completed, the new School of Information Technologies (SIT) has made a significant impact upon the Cleveland Street landscape.
The non-conventional design was created by one of Australia’s pre-eminent architects and University of Sydney Alumni and University Medallist Richard Francis Jones of fjmt. It significantly improves the presentation of the University to users of Cleveland Street and City Road as well as forming a natural end point to the Engineering precinct.
The design features media, image projection, graphics and information systems as much as the architectural steel, glass and screening systems. Visitors to the school enter through a technology garden which forms a colonnade from the Seymour Centre forecourt to the main entry. Beyond the main entry, a central atrium provides the opportunity for displaying artwork and other exhibitions as well as being the main area for interaction and social gathering. Tea rooms (below centre) act as social hubs on bridges overlooking the new building, with vistas back towards Engineering walk. A key feature of the design includes the Technology Garden, which opens off the school’s main public facilities.
The five-level complex provides integrated and specialised teaching and research labs for research staff, academics, postgraduate research students and honours students as well as undergraduate teaching facilities, meeting and conference rooms, a multi-purpose lecture theatre and presentation room.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gavin Brown, requested the inclusion of Level 5, with its expansive views over the neighbourhood so the University could offer accommodation to its Industry Partners. Occupants of Level 5 now include the University's business liaison office Sydnovate and NICTA (National Information and Communications Technology Alliance). The benefits of having an industry partner on site are enormous, providing extensive opportunities for collaboration to the benefit of both parties.
As part of the initiative to remove surface car parking from Campus, particularly in the central Public Domain, a 135 space basement car park was incorporated into the SIT building to supplement the neighbouring Shepherd Street parking station.
As part of the program, Engineering Walk - which runs between the Seymour Centre, the Schoool of Aeronautical Engineering and the new SIT building - has been upgraded with improved lighting, finishes and paving. The Seymour Centre forecourt has also been upgraded with new paving and up-lighting to the tree canopies and more attractive and sophisticated signage replacing the existing Seymour Centre signs.
Innovative technologies and features have been incorporated into the design to ensure the environmental sustainability of the building. Che Wall, the 2004 Prime Minister’s Environmentalist of the Year was responsible for the environmental aspects of the project.
