Saint John Paul II Building (Building T), ACU

Building T was set out skewed from a dissecting x and y axis, which made holding tight tolerances across the chosen façade system a demanding exercise, particularly where it met the internal set-out of critical areas such as the medical simulation suites, flexible learning spaces and amenities.

The programme allowed just 43 weeks and the technical detailing called for first-class workmanship throughout. The building contains three Flexible Learning Areas, each with operable walls that allow a single space to be divided into six teaching rooms. The Level A learning area features perforated American White Oak timber veneer for acoustic performance, White Oak veneer wall linings and a 4.5-metre floor-to-ceiling height.

Services coordination was central to the build. Because the teaching spaces demanded high acoustic performance, mechanical ductwork coordination and detailed shop drawings were essential to hold the required ceiling heights while meeting the relevant Australian Standards. On the exterior, new brickwork had to match masonry more than 80 years old, and the team hand-sorted an estimated 55,000 bricks to achieve a seamless match.

Construction took place on a live campus. Working with campus management, Tomkins developed a structured Construction Management Plan that separated all site activity from student movement, scheduled works around teaching timetables, and confined disruptive works such as shutdowns and service crossovers to holiday periods, breaks between teaching and out-of-hours windows.