Green Chemical Futures, Monash University

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Green Chemical Futures at Monash Clayton campus is a project by Lyons Architecture, where Carey Lyon is a principal architect. The $80M, 5-star GreenStar 10,000 m² building is the centrepiece of the North West Science Precinct, a key element in the new urban campus masterplan. It is a collaborative facility which combines Chemistry teaching and research with industry engagement to catalyse a new sustainable future for the discipline. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION: The three elements of Chemical education, research and practice are bonded in a singular form in Green Chemical Futures, making collaboration the central focus of the building. Scientists mix with undergraduate students and industry partners, and highly visible internal circulation promotes the concept of a transparent, shared enterprise. This project builds on Lyon's research and expertise in designing educational buildings that encourage collaborative learning, work that Nigel Westbrook describes as 'essential to understanding Australia's architectural culture'. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: The significance of the project was recognised at the 2015 Victorian Architecture Awards by the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA), where it won the Educational Architecture Award and the Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture. AIA awards are the most prestigious in the design and construction industry in Australia, vital to public and peer recognition of outstanding contributions in the fields of architecture and the built environment. It was peer-reviewed in professional journals and magazines Architecture Australia, Architecture and Design, Australian Design Review, Urban Melbourne, Green Magazine and Business Insider.