Herston Biofabrication Institute Laboratory

The Herston Health Precinct and Herston Quarter in Brisbane together are known as a world-leading health and knowledge community. Biofabrication is an emerging field in the health sector that is leading to some of the world’s most innovative treatment and rehabilitation—therefore, the Herston Biofabrication Institute was conceptualized.

Stantec was engaged to provide all engineering services for this first-of-its-kind building, including mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, structural, and fire. Our biggest challenge was that the laboratories featured specialist equipment that has very specific and prescriptive infrastructure requirements. These requirements would have to be coordinated with the constraints of an existing building not designed for this purpose and achieve the intended aesthetics of the design. Through detailed consultation and direct coordination, we were able to appropriately supply provisions such as power, industrial gases, ventilation requirements, pressure regimes, and fire suppression systems. We completed this with the assistance of reality capture 3D scanning of the existing infrastructure.

The resulting building design supports a collaborative approach while integrating cutting-edge technology with organic flexible spaces where clinicians, academics, industry, and consumers can learn, collaborate, and conduct research.