Architectus acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work and learn.
We honour their unique cultural and spiritual relationships with the lands, waters, skies, and communities, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.
Client:
UNSW & Plenary Group
Location:
Randwick, New South Wales
Collaborators:
ASPECT Studios, Yerrabingin
Status:
Completed 2025
Photography:
Hufton + Crow, Nicole England
Contact Person:
Matthew Todd
Standing at the heart of the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct, the UNSW Health Translation Hub (UNSW HTH) brings together health, education and research in one purpose‑built environment.
Designed for UNSW Sydney and Plenary Group, the building unites researchers, clinicians, students, industry partners and the community in a single building that’s focused on accelerating discoveries from laboratory bench to clinical bedside.
Strategically located at the intersection of High and Botany Streets, Randwick, the UNSW HTH physically and symbolically connects the UNSW Kensington Campus with the neighbouring hospital campus.
A permeable ground plane and 2,500m² of open space strengthen connections between university, health partners and community.
Two pedestrian bridges connect the Hub with the Wallace Wurth Building to the west and Sydney Children’s Hospital and the Minderoo Children’s Comprehensive Cancer Centre to the east, creating a continuous corridor for people, knowledge and ideas.
Rising 14 storeys, the building’s sculptural form and facade are inspired by the wind‑carved dunes of Sydney’s coastline. A layered system of projecting hoods, glass‑reinforced concrete panels, curved aluminium sunshades and high‑performance glazing achieves about a 60 per cent reduction in solar radiation while maintaining lightness and transparency. At street level, highly glazed frontages provide an open, welcoming civic presence.
The UNSW HTH acts as a catalyst for clinical research and intellectual exchange, enhancing the relationship between the university, hospital and independent research organisations. Its architecture underpins this collaborative ecosystem, creating the conditions for breakthroughs in healthcare, knowledge transfer and improved community health.
Inside, a multi‑level atrium forms the social heart of the UNSW HTH. This light‑filled space links four podium levels via a sweeping stair and generous circulation zones that encourage informal encounters.
Clinical research areas, workspaces and teaching environments are organised around the atrium so activity is visible and interconnected. Above, flexible floorplates accommodate education spaces, workplaces and dry research laboratories that can adapt as technology and models of care evolve.
The creation of spaces that welcome, support, teach and nurture is central to the UNSW HTH. Our design connects to Country through texturally rich spaces brimming with colour, warmth and greenery.
Country, culture and sustainability are woven throughout the project.
Working with Yerrabingin and ASPECT Studios, Architectus embedded an Indigenous reading of place in the landscape and public interiors, drawing on native flora with medicinal and cultural significance to support the idea of ‘Country as medicine’.
Underpinned by the UNSW Climate Action Plan, the fully electrified, renewables‑powered building achieves an estimated 20 per cent reduction in operational carbon emissions and energy use. Its digital resilience is recognised through the building’s WiredScore Platinum certification.
The façade design for the Health Translation Hub reduces solar radiation by 60%.
100% electrified and
powered by renewable energy,
complemented by a 100 kWh rooftop
solar photovoltaic array
2,500 m2 of accessible public space
Client:
UNSW & Plenary Group
Location:
Randwick, New South Wales
Collaborators:
ASPECT Studios, Yerrabingin
Status:
Completed 2025
Photography:
Hufton + Crow, Nicole England
Contact Person:
Matthew Todd
European Healthcare Design Awards, High Commendation in Design for Health and Life Sciences, 2026
Bill Botelho
Associate
Sydney
Registered Architect NSW (9526)
Ramon Siccion
Associate
Sydney
