After recently having completed the Reid Building Enabling Works, Kane have been appointed as Head Contractor for the $18 million Lump Sum Reid Building Adaptive Re-Use Project.
The Project will transform the existing four level R.L. Reid Building at the Melbourne Campus, Bundoora into a state of the art Laboratory facility. The existing 1960's/1970's laboratories, largely unchanged since their original construction have become largely under-utilised since the opening of the La Trobe Institute of Molecular Sciences Building in 2011.
The Project will also assist in consolidating teaching and research facilities from four existing buildings (R.L.Reid, Biological Sciences 1 & 2 and Thomas Cherry) in accordance with the La Trobe University Masterplan, this assists in freeing up areas in the other three buildings for future Projects.
The Project's scope and design response will maximises the Building's existing floorplates on all levels. Levels 1 & 2 will house Teaching Laboratories accommodating 150 students & 130 students respectively.
Levels 3 & 4 will accommodate 3 and 5 Research Laboratories respectively. Both types of laboratories have adjacent support spaces (technical and staff) and have been designed to be PC2 enabled should the need arise to minimise operational downtime when being converted. Research staff and Post Graduate open plan areas catering for 80 personnel have also been created on Levels 3 & 4.
One of the primary design drivers is to promote collaboration between staff and students. Common utility areas such as a dedicated cleaning area, freezer farm & materials storage further promote cost and operationally efficiencies. The sense of collaboration extends beyond the buildings existing envelope with a new pedestrian link to Biological Sciences 1 at levels 3 and 4.
An Enabling Works package to decant the existing teaching facilities and microscopy facility into adjacent buildings was completed by Kane in August 2015.
Kane have a long history working with La Trobe University with projects including the recently completed Reid Building Enabling Works and $13M The Learning Commons (TLC) and previously completed $35M Sylvia Walton Building, $15M Health Sciences and $33M Clinical Teaching.
The Kane team are working alongside Aurecon, Billard Leece, Wilde & Woolard, Irwin Consult and Lehr Consultants International.
Construction will commence on site early November 2015 with the new facilities operational by the commencement of Semester 1, 2017.
