Hawkesbury campus
Current CW&F projects on Hawkesbury campus
Building G1 refurbishment for new teaching space and learning commons
Underutilised floor space in building G1 will be converted to learning commons as part of a new initiative to provide functional, dynamic and informal learning spaces for students. The learning commons will include individual computer terminals as well as small group learning spaces (i.e. for four to six students) to encourage student collaboration. Comfortable, mobile furniture will allow students to customise the environment to suit their learning needs and glass writing surfaces will line the walls. The learning commons will also include wireless internet, electrical outlets, presentation screens/surfaces a kitchenette and associated amenities.
These works are being completed after hours so as to minimise impact on staff and students in the building. The services reticulation works are now complete and the final fit-out works are underway.
This project is co-funded by UWS and the Student Services and Amenities Fee.
Access restrictions: The training room, archive storage area, a section of the student lounge area and the loading dock will remain offline and inaccessible while the works are being completed.
Scheduled completion date: 30 August 2013
Internal refurbishment of building R6
Building R6 is a 1950s single story building that was constructed as a War Memorial Library to commemorate the services of the students, ex-students and staff of the Hawkesbury Agricultural College in World War II.
In more recent times, building R6 has been used as teaching and exam space. In late 2012, the building was refurbished externally to return it to the original designed condition. These works included removing the un-used annex that was added to north-eastern side of the building in 1985 and returning one of the original stained-glass windows, and the two bronze war memorial building plaques, to the building.
Following on from the external refurbishment, the building is now being refurbished internally to provide an additional seminar/conference facility for the Hawkesbury campus. Once complete, R6 will accommodate 90 to 120 persons. It will include a store room, kitchen, amenities and state-of-the-art audio visual equipment.
Access restrictions: Building R6 will remain offline and inaccessible while the refurbishment works are in progress.
Scheduled completion date: 30 September 2013
Adaptive reuse of building K10 for office accommodation
Building K10 was originally constructed in 1902 as a laundry for the Hawkesbury Agricultural College. Up until early 2013, the building was still being used as a laundry, providing coin-operated washing facilities for the residential students on the Hawkesbury campus. A new coin-operated laundry has since been established within the residential student precinct on the Hawkesbury campus.
Building K10 will now be refurbished into office accommodation for 23 staff, including open plan space, three individual offices, a kitchenette and amenities. The project is currently out to tender, with the view of awarding the refurbishment contract by mid-August 2013.
Access restrictions: Building K10 will remain offline and inaccessible while the works are in progress.
Scheduled completion date: 18 October 2013
Building R2 adaptive reuse for Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment offices
Building R2 (formerly Thompson Hall) was constructed in two stages between 1905 and 1907 as part of the expansion of Hawkesbury Agricultural College’s accommodation facilities (now UWS, Hawkesbury campus).
The first stage of the new accommodation facility, the two-storey eastern-wing of building R2, was completed and occupied in July 1905. The second stage of the new two-storey accommodation facility was completed in 1907. It replaced the original 1895 weatherboard dormitory on the south-eastern side of the main Quadrangle.
Building R2 is representative of a Federation Arts and Crafts style institutional building that was typical of the work of the NSW Public Works Department of the early 20th Century period. Its architectural style is characterised by asymmetrical composition and simple decorative timber detailing.
Over the years, building R2 continued to be used for on-campus accommodation, until it was vacated in January 2012 in preparation for its adaptive re-use to provide new office accommodation and meeting space for the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, the first institute for the University of Western Sydney. The facility will provide a major identity for this newly created Institute (the first institute in the University) to link in with the recently completed works under the Climate Change and Energy Research Facility (CCERF) grant.
The internal linings are nearing completion, with the installation of the fixtures and fittings to follow. The replacement of the roof tiles is progressing well. The new roof tiles were selected based on their similarity to the existing roof tiles.
Access restrictions: Building R2 will remain offline and inaccessible until the construction works are complete.
Scheduled completion date: 20 December 2013
Construction of a new Phytotron (PC2 glasshouse) laboratory for HIE’s plant research program
A new state-of-the-art Phytotron (PC2 glasshouse) laboratory will be constructed in the S precinct on the Hawkesbury campus, adjacent to existing PC2 glasshouse laboratories. The new climate-controlled facility will be used for the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment’s (HIE) plant research program, providing the Institute with the capability to undertake research into genetically modified and quarantined plants.
The contract for the design and construct of the Phytotron laboratory has been awarded and the site works are scheduled to commence in early August 2013.
Scheduled completion date: 31 January 2014
Adaptive reuse of building K4, Stable Square
Building K4, Stable Square, was originally constructed for the Hawkesbury Agricultural College in 1895, before being rebuilt only one year later after being damaged by fire. In 1899, an additional five loose boxes and three stalls were added and a Percheron stud was established in 1945.
Between 1953 and 1955, the horses were replaced with tractors, thereby changing the use of Stable Square, which was then subsequently used to store farm implements and provide space for the College Maintenance Section.
In 1980, Stable Square was restored and renovated for the Student Union. Stage 1 of the Stable Square redevelopment was officially opened by the Hon. DM Grusovin, MLC on 23 August 1981.
In 1983, a student bar area was opened in Stable Square. Five years later, the bar area was given a “face-lift” and amenities were added to the southern side.
A significant refurbishment is now being planned for this historically significant building to provide new, contemporary accommodation for Student Support Services, Student Central, uwsconnect, the bookshop (with a cafe) and upgraded amenities. This project also involves upgrading the landscaping within the Stable Square courtyard and around the building.
The tender for this project will be awarded in early August and the construction works will be completed on a stage-by-stage basis.
Access restrictions: The construction area in building K4 will be inaccessible while the works are in progress.
Scheduled completion date: 28 February 2014
Other current and future CW&F projects on the Hawkesbury campus
- Upgrade of the forensic laboratory in building K16
- Internal refurbishment of building R6
- Minor office refurbishment in building H4 for the Office of the CFO
- External refurbishment of building H4, including an upgrade of the courtyard
- Installation of new electronic ‘smart’ lockers for students
- Water recycling and stormwater harvesting
- Implementation of the Bushfire Mitigation Plan for HIE’s external assets
- Bush regeneration and weed removal in the Cumberland Plain remnants on the Hawkesbury campus
- Road upgrades in the K precinct
- Installation of recycled water irrigation system for the rugby oval
- Relocation of the Secret Garden on the Hawkesbury campus
- Refurbishment of building K21 for additional postgraduate space on the Hawkesbury campus
- Upgrade of car parks P4 and P8
- Amenities upgrade in building G1
- Adaptive reuse of building H5 for IT Procurement
- Partial refurbishment of building M15 for the School of Science and Health
- Refurbishment of some office accommodation in building K12 for the School of Science and Health
- Decommissioning of building L6, the basketball court
- Demolition of building K14
- Upgrade of the Vines Drive entrance, including new campus signage
- Refurbishment of building M14
- Electrical infrastructure upgrade for HIE in the Yarramundi Paddocks.
