Reid Building Adaptive Re-Use Project

Project Director, Owen Warlond

Project Summary/description

The Reid Building Adaptive Re-Use Project will transform the existing 4 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 in August 2015 with the finalisation of the decanting process scheduled for completion by the start of October 2015. It is intended that construction will commence on site early November 2015 with the new facilities operational by the commencement of Semester 1, 2017.

Funding Source and Budget details

This Project is fully funded by the University

Timeline / Key Milestone

Project team Consultants

Project last updated: 13 October 2015