2021 Sustainability Award for Macquarie University Ainsworth Building

We are absolutely thrilled that Macquarie University Ainsworth Building has been recognised with a Sustainability Award for Education and Research Building category at the Sustainability Digital Summit.

The Ainsworth Building is the purpose-built home of Macquarie University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, providing teaching spaces that establish the University as a rising star in medical research. The project embodies the forward-thinking sustainability and environmental stewardship goals outlined in Macquarie University’s Campus Master Plan, with the building estimated to save the carbon emission equivalent of five to six years of energy consumption via the carbon sequestered within the timber frame. 

The Building comprises four levels of mass timber structure, which characterises the architecture with its tonal warmth and subtlety of form. 

Architectus Principal Luke Johnson said, “The Architectus project team is very pleased to receive this accolade for sustainable design. It has been an absolute delight working in support of our forward-thinking clients at Macquarie University who encouraged us in the process of pushing the limits with innovative sustainable solutions using mass-timber.”   

Timber adorns the internal spaces to create a cohesive and authentic language. The biophilic palette provides a tangible connection with nature and evokes a sense of wellness. W-shaped hardwood columns at the entrance are a defining feature that transfers vertical loads to the ground. The high-performance glass skin reveals the precise geometry of the timber structural skeleton and draws optimal daylight into the interiors.  

Learn more about the project here.