Engineering Innovation Hub officially opens in Sydney’s West

Western Sydney University, Charter Hall and UNSW Sydney this week celebrated the official opening of the $300 million Engineering Innovation Hub at 6 Hassall Street, Parramatta – a world-leading commercial and education precinct to support the next generation of engineers, architects and entrepreneurs.

6 Hassall street was officially opened by;

• NSW Premier, The Hon Dominic Perrottet MP
• Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barney Glover AO
• Charter Hall Managing Director & Group CEO, David Harrison
• Vice-President of Operations at UNSW Sydney, Andrew Walters
• General Manager of Sydney and Major Projects at Richard Crookes Constructions, Grant D’Arcy.

A major investment in the Western Sydney region, the 21-storey Engineering Innovation Hub features state-of-the-art, digitally-infused education, commercial, retail and co-working facilities. The building has been specifically designed to promote knowledge sharing and to create meaningful connections between universities, industry and the community.

Charter Hall Managing Director & Group CEO, Mr David Harrison, said, “We are proud of this outstanding investment in the heart of Parramatta, which Charter Hall will own long term after a successful development joint venture with Western Sydney University.”

“In addition to expanding our continued partnership with Western Sydney University, we are pleased to welcome valued tenant customers in CBHS Health Fund, Pepper Money and Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia. Together, they will play a vital role in creating a future-ready and resilient precinct where commerce and learning collide to create the next generation of industry leaders in Western Sydney,” said Mr Harrison.

Teaching programs offered at the new campus include a collaborative joint engineering degree developed and delivered in partnership with UNSW, as well as courses in architecture, industrial design and entrepreneurship. It is home to Western Sydney University’s world-leading research programs such as the Urban Transformation Research Centre and the University’s tech startup incubator, LaunchPad.

Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barney Glover AO, said the Engineering Innovation Hub is a milestone achievement – truly transformative infrastructure for Parramatta that fosters all-important innovation in the engineering sector and delivers positive outcomes for the whole community.

“The Engineering Innovation Hub is creating unparalleled opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and across industries – a world-class innovation precinct that is driving academic excellence and promoting economic growth across the whole western Sydney region,” said Professor Glover.

“This campus provides an exceptional teaching and work-integrated learning environment for our students, with the chance to leverage knowledge-jobs and research and development opportunities arising from the large-scale infrastructure and engineering investments across the region, including the new airport at Bradfield, the Sydney West Metro, and the Parramatta Light Rail. It is also fostering important research collaborations with business and industry and developing an innovation ecosystem for Western Sydney.”

With limited office space remaining, the A-grade building boasts Parramatta’s richest levels of tenant customer and academic amenity with the flexible and smart building designed by joint venture architects Blight Rayner and Tzannes in conjunction with Richard Crookes Constructions.

Cutting-edge in both design and construction, the stunning precinct comprises 29,000 square metres, connected by a dramatic vertical steel stair through a triple-eight void from basement and ground up to level six of the building. Ultra-flexible spaces blur the lines between traditional university and commercial office environments – designed to promote creativity and encourage collaboration among students, researchers, industry partners, tenants and community.

A smart building in every sense, intuitive technology both now and into the future is at the heart of the future-ready precinct, including smartphone lift call capability; touchless smart bathroom amenities for a healthier work and learning environment; cyber security integration; and electric vehicle charging stations.

With Western Sydney University recently named number one in the world for its social, ecological and economic impact in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings, sustainability has also been key, with all building elements designed to minimise embodied energy in their manufacture and selected with a whole-of-life approach in mind.

The Engineering Innovation Hub is Western Sydney University’s second major campus in the Parramatta CBD, following the 2017 opening of the Peter Shergold Building in Parramatta Square, also developed in partnership with Charter Hall. It is part of the University’s Western Growth strategy – an ambitious program that is co-creating cities and transformative educational infrastructure across Western Sydney, in partnership with industry and government.