The RMIT SEH (College of Science, Engineering and Health) ‘Future Colleges’ project was a $15m 10,000m2 12 month refurbishment and fundamental restructuring of 11 sites in RMIT’s Melbourne, Carlton, Bundoora West and Bundoora East campuses. It included workplace, learning and teaching and amenity spaces.

Located in Carlton, the Network laboratory was a space for teaching digital network infrastructure, network topology, data cabling, and the like.

The project team was required to quickly adapt to an entirely new precinct, building, and functional use, and work closely with administrative, academic and teaching staff to design and fit out an approx. 60 person laboratory with associated 4 person office and ‘server room’ in Building 56.

This work was undertaken at very short notice near to the end-of-year break, requiring rapid investigation of existing conditions with the assistance of the incumbent builder. The work was complicated by the poor condition of the existing internal fit out and mechanical plant, the acoustic considerations of the proposed use, and the nature of the existing building (particularly its dramatically graded south facade and raked columns).

Network laboratories are often accredited by third parties (i.e. Cisco) adding an additional overlay of technical difficulty to the task.