Urbanline project dominates architectural awards
The University of Queensland Oral Health Centre, which features innovative architectural features from Urbanline, has dominated this year’s 2016 Queensland Architecture Awards, taking home the FDG Stanley Award for Public Architecture, an Award for Interior Architecture and an Award for Sustainable Architecture.
This advanced teaching and research facility doubles as Australia’s largest public dentist and was recognised for ‘establishing a unique benchmark’ in its collaborative student spaces and public interface.
Urbanline’s brief was to add warmth by covering the building’s steel posts with striking Blackbutt timber ‘fins’ with a matching staircase handrail. The use of Australian Blackbutt blends perfectly with surrounding native gum trees, creating a seamless link with the building’s natural surrounds.
“Urbanline is proud to contribute to such an architecturally-significant project,” said Urbanline Managing Director Brenden Parker. “Realising this architectural vision was a major design and sourcing challenge, and the results are exceptional.”
Not only did Urbanline need to work with utmost precision to ensure smooth installation, but special profiles were created to allow for natural timber movement. Even sourcing 7,000 lineal metres of high quality Blackbutt was a challenge, as each length of timber was join-free.
As an architectural timber specialist, Urbanline rose to the test by creating a visually stunning yet highly practical solution.
Other project partners included architects Cox Rayner Architects with Hames Sharley and Conrad Gargett Riddel; builders Lend Lease; and façade supplier Yuanda.