Conference Day Two: Wednesday, 10 April 2019
9:00 am - 9:20 am Coffee And Registration
9:20 am - 9:30 am Conference Opening
9:30 am - 10:00 am CASE STUDY: Synergy, Black Rock Mountain Project: Achieving LEED Gold Star Standards in Sustainability Architecture
Synergy is the new building for CSIRO at the Black Mountain Campus in Canberra. Designed to coalesce the often contrary requirements of laboratories and workspaces - transparency, collaboration and framing a community were the drivers for creating an internal environment that facilitates a more connected and networked research community.
Consequently the scientific workplace is redefined and a highly imagamatic external architecture is created resulting in a bespoke functional workplace and an expression derived from the rich Australian landscape surrounding it.
An issue universally addressed by research organisations across Australia is the attraction of both local and international talent and increasingly architecture, workplace design and places of integration are vehicles for projecting the internationalism of contemporary Australian research facilities
10:00 am - 10:30 am INTERACTIVE SESSION: How Effective are Open Labs? Striking the Right Balance for Collaboration
During this discussion, we take a look at the effectiveness of open labs in sparking conversations and collaboration. New generation lab spaces aredesigned to reduce the amount of closed work spaces and allow researchers to engage in discussions outsideof traditional communal spaces such as hallways or the cafeteria. However, the reality of open labs increases thelevel of noise, counter-productive to the intent of the design. Therefore, how can we design a spacethat strikes the right balancebetween work and interaction?
- Collaborativespaces: What works and what could be improved?
- Meeting the demand for types of support spaces, labs, officespaces and coreareas
- Features to transition traditional researcher mindset on spaceutilisation
- Key ingredients for collaboration and effective use of spacewithin labs
10:30 am - 11:00 am Morning Tea & Networking Break
11:40 am - 12:20 pm Converging Multi-Disciplinary Research to Develop Core Capabilities
In 2017, UNSW completed its construction of the Bioscience E26 South Building, part of the larger Biomedical Precinct Extension Development. What the university envisioned was to integrate their core facilities to further boost their current status as leaders in research infrastructure excellence. The building enables integration at a level never experienced before allowing core staff to engage in meaningful interactions and discovering new capabilities.
- Australia’s first integrated floor providing research in Genomics, Imaging, Bioinformatics and Proteomics and its effectiveness in reinforcing synergies between research groups
- Achieving accreditation in the new building which was not possible with the design of the old building
- Improvements in climate controls, UPS backups and uninterrupted power supplies
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm Lunch break
1:20 pm - 2:00 pm Robust Governance Structures to Manage Workflow Effectively in Large Scale Developments
Following the 2016 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap, ANSTO has aligned a number of their landmark infrastructure focusing on key priority areas impacting Australia’s future research demands. Through new partnerships with institutions and international partners, as well as commercially leasing their core facilities to external partners, ANSTO is able to maintain its flow of revenue and provide the Australian research community with excellent research outputs. The organisation ensures collaboration run smoothly and equitable use of resources through robust governance structures and general principles. In this session, understand what the best approaches are to address your governance and management structures to enhance collaboration.
- Managing expectations between multiple governing boards from institutional and industrial partners
- Sustaining funding through commercial leasing – pricing models, contract negotiation and use of resources
- Acquiring leaders in their respected fields to run the facility and provideexpert adviceto link disparate groups together for improved collaboration
2:00 pm - 2:40 pm CASE STUDY: Predicting Facility Deterioration and Costs Using Algorithms Leading to Improved Building Asset Management
With costly lifecycle management of buildings that can add up to 60% of an asset’s overall budget, RMIT Engineering Researchers found an opportunity levering a machine learning platform to collect and collate data on the utilisation of their buildings and facilities which enabled them to better predict the rate of deterioration. Using the information gathered, Kanishka and his team were able to reduce the time and costs invested in building maintenance and further extend the life cycle of RMIT buildings. In this session, hear insights into:
- Adopting a data-driven approach to improve building life cycle management
- Integrating the CAMS software across all RMIT buildings
- Using machine learning to eliminate costly and unnecessary maintenance and manual inspections
2:40 pm - 3:00 pm Afternoon Tea
3:00 pm - 3:40 pm CASE STUDY: Introducing UTS’ Hive-Superlab: An Integrated Teaching & Laboratory Facility Driving Next Generation Learning
In 2015, UTS began operating the newly constructed Superlab, a first of its kind with modern equipment and technology that accommodates over 200 students from 12 different classes. The UTS Hive-Superlab, the next iteration of the UTS Superlab, is currently under construction and will begin operations in 2019. The UTS Hive-Superlab is the second generation of the UTS Superlab with an increase in size to accommodate more than 250 students from 14 different classes, designed to comply with PC2 requirements, improves on technological advancements for new teaching practices and methodology. It has an innovative aesthetic approach when compared to traditional laboratory design to create a unique and engaging teachingenvironment for the students. This session will focus the following:
- Why the UTS Hive-Superlab?
- How to enhance students’ engagement and teaching experience via innovative ‘non-traditional’ aesthetic laboratory design (from laboratory layout to colour schemes and laboratory benches)
- Integration of safety requirements and PC2 requirements to a large teaching laboratory environment
- New technological advancements in aiding teaching methodologies
3:40 pm - 4:20 pm Creating Support Environments with Collaboration Zones to Attract, Motivate and Retain Researchers
Contemporary facilities are trending toward open-space plans to cultivate a collaborative culture and encourage a cohesive research community. However, the transition for researchers to move from non-shared facilities into a new integrated learning space can prove challenging. This session will focus on programs and activities set to encourage a collaborative culture where researchers are motivated to thrive in their area of expertise.
- Addressing cultural changes with innovative features where scientist converge and thrive.
- Adding collaboration zones to encourage trans-disciplinary discussions which could spark new discoveries and exchange of ideas
- Doing more with less –philanthropic activities to increase researcher productivity without depending on the facility’s budget