This CSIRO facility is divided into three main components; a warehouse facility with high bay racking for soil samples that are used for agricultural research, new PC2 (Physical Containment level 2) and QC 2 (Quarantine Containment level 2) Growth and Controlled Environment Research facilities and a new repository for low grade radioactive materials that are produced and used on the site (Radiation Store). While the Soil Store component is relatively simple and makes up the majority of the building envelope, the context of its surroundings, being prominently located adjacent the University of Adelaide’s Wine Innovation Centre, dictates a design response that is elegant and appropriate as a backdrop to the WIC. The research component (Growth, CE Rooms and Radiation Facility) which make up less than a quarter of the floor area have been integrated such that the overall form presents much more than a storage shed, and reflects the importance of the research functions carried out within. The research components are technically challenging from a servicing and containment viewpoint with strict adherence to construction detailing and regulatory requirements.

• Location Urrbrae, South Australia
• Client CSIRO
• Completed 2016
• Budget $2M