Doherty Institute, completed by BLP in collaboration with Grimshaw, has won the Geoffrey Sanderson Trophy for Best and Most Distinctive Use of Engineered Wood Products and the Timber Panels category in the Australian Timber Design Awards 2014.
This facility brings together the expertise of seven different organisations comprising leading biomedical scientists, public health specialists and educators focused on infectious diseases and immunity. A partnership of Melbourne Health and the University of Melbourne, it is the only facility of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
As a sustainable alternative to materials with high embodied energy, timber is used extensively throughout the building. From feature plywood ceilings, to timber batten ceilings and wall linings, and Meranti veneer linings, timber is used to distinguish different areas and provide a warm contrast to the clinical laboratory environments.
The interstitial timber batten facade system optimises filtered natural light in office areas, which combined with the palette of natural finished materials in all public and office areas, delivers a better indoor environment for the students, researchers, medical professionals, and administrative staff who will use the building.
