Tonsley sparkles at SA Master Builders awards
The “very high level of finishes and complex detailing” of Flinders University’s new Tonsley facility have made it a winner for its builders, Lendlease, at the Master Builders Association of South Australia’s (MBA SA) Building Excellence Awards 2015.
Flinders at Tonsley, which was officially opened on March 12 by the Federal Minister for Industry and Science, Ian Macfarlane, and South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, came top in the Excellence in Commercial/Industrial Building $50m to $100m category at the annual awards.
The award citation said Lendlease had “worked successfully within a number of significant restrictions and challenges” and delivered Tonsley ahead of time and within budget.
The state-of-the art building is the centrepiece of the revitalisation of the former Mitsubishi Motors manufacturing site and houses a range of leading edge teaching and research facilities.
The six-storey, 16,000 square metre building brings together education, innovation, business and commercial start-up ventures in one precinct, with a key aim of stimulating economic growth in industries of the future.
Professor John Roddick, Dean of Flinders University’s School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics, which is based at Tonsley, said the award was a fantastic recognition of one of the University’s key infrastructure investments.
“Since we moved in at the start of the year, the building has enabled us to undertake industry-oriented research that was simply beyond our previous buildings” said Professor Roddick.
“It has also enabled us to teach in a way far more in line with the way Engineering and ICT Professionals work – in teams and using state-of-the-art equipment.”
The annual MBA SA awards were announced at the Adelaide Convention Centre in front of almost 1,000 guests.
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Master Builders SA Chief Executive Officer John Stokes said the winners had excelled in a field filled with a greater variety of entrants than ever before.
“Every one of these award winners and commendations show the skills, knowledge and craftsmanship of the builders behind the project,” he said.
“Whether it’s a bar, a stadium or someone’s home, the professionalism shown in every entry is a testament to the calibre of building and construction here in South Australia.”
FAST FACTS ABOUT FLINDERS AT TONSLEY
- 150 staff, 2000 students
- Six-storeys, 16,000 square metres
- Two lecture theatres, complemented by collaborative teaching spaces 28 specialist laboratories
- Disciplines include biomedical, civil, electrical, electronic, mechanical and software engineering, IT, network systems and mathematics
- Glass façade allows for uninterrupted 360 degree views from the upper levels, over the foothills, Flinders University’s Bedford campus, the sea and city skyline
- Heavy engineering equipment (such as aircraft wings) housed in 2,000 square metre “pod’’ in Tonsley precinct for research
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