The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Mansergh Shaw Makerspace, also known as UQ Innovate, has placed the world top-50 university at the forefront of hands-on education in Australia.
The facility makes up the largest space of its kind in Australia with a 1,200 square metre COX-designed workshop housing manufacturing and prototyping tools and machines.
The auditorium was a major focus for the project’s design, creating a ‘UQ community forum’ that encourages curiosity within the makerspace.
The development of public viewing areas and utilisation of underused mezzanine space encourages and facilitates collaboration, readying students for their future careers.
COX Director Brooke Lloyd said, “The purpose of the makerspace is to focus on encouraging a creative and experimental process. We have designed UQ Innovate to provide an inclusive, interdisciplinary space to empower a new generation to think creatively in ways not yet imagined.”
UQ Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology Executive Dean, Professor Vicki Chen said the new facilities give UQ students a competitive edge.
“With the launch of UQ Innovate, we are in a much stronger position to fuel [students] curiosity, so they can drive sustainable solutions at the cutting edge, today and tomorrow.”
Project Details
Project size – 1,020 m2
Completion date – 2019
Project Team
Architecture
Cox Architecture
Cox is a design-focused contemporary architectural practice with studios located in every major Australian city and a history spanning 60 years.
Key to their ethos is supporting the public life of our cities. Cox does this by ensuring each project makes positive contributions to its public realm – giving more than it takes.
Photography
Christopher Frederick Jones
Christopher is an experienced architectural and interiors photographer based in Brisbane, Australia.
Photo Gallery
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Design © 2020 Cox Architecture. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2020 Christopher Frederick Jones. All Rights Reserved.
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