University of Wollongong Constructs Molecular Horizons Facility

The University of Wollongong is constructing the Molecular Horizons facility in New South Wales, Australia. Designed by Denton Corker Marshall in association with Jacobs, the AUD$80 million project will feature collaborative research laboratories housing leading-edge microscopy equipment including super-resolution optical microscopes and cryo-electron microscopes. The 75,000-sf structure is being constructed with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) in a suspended ferrous-free slab to mitigate electromagnetic interference. Comprising two blocks connected by a glazed atrium, the five-story facility will provide offices, breakout rooms, meeting spaces, common areas, and a new home for the Center for Atmospheric Chemistry. The project team includes general contractor Richard Crookes Construction and engineering consultants Arup, Robert Bird Group, and Taylor Thompson Whiting. Construction began in summer of 2018 and completion is expected by early 2020.