Key design tender for $250m CDU city campus up for grabs
THE key multimillion-dollar tender for a principal design consultant and sub-consultants to progress the $250m Charles Darwin University city campus is up for grabs.
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THE key multimillion-dollar tender for a principal design consultant and sub-consultants to progress the $250m Charles Darwin University city campus is up for grabs.
The CDU tender contract will span three years of work until the new Education and Community Precinct is complete.
The 32,000sq m, seven-level project has moved through the masterplan, concept design and scheme design phases.
Federal Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge told the NT News the tender would open up job opportunities for architects and building engineers.
“There will also be a need for people with highly specialised skills, such as wind engineering, acoustics and wayfinding,” Mr Tudge said.
“Every local job we support means one less worry for another Australian and their family, more reliable work on the books for local companies and more cash flowing through local businesses doing it tough due to COVID-19.”
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CDU vice-chancellor Simon Maddocks said that the tender outlined design principles that would help create contemporary learning spaces in “an iconic building designed to incorporate the latest environmental technology and science”.
“Principles include how to activate the precinct’s street fronts, creating safe and welcoming pedestrian links and how the use of small retail spaces, community activity zones, attractive seating and building entries can make a positive visitor experience,” Professor Maddocks said.
“Another principle covers how landscaping could create green walls, as well as attractive and environmentally sustainable landscaping at ground level.
“The new principal design consultant will be encouraged to engage with the Darwin Living Lab (DLL) and its work when developing heat mitigation, energy efficiency and smart building measures, as the new precinct represents an ideal opportunity to further our knowledge on these measures.”
Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner was buoyed by the latest announcement, saying he wanted the majority of the 700 precinct construction jobs to go to Territorians.
Mr Gunner said it was also important that the principal design consultant would be required to have a strong presence in Darwin.
“It continues the City Deal’s focus of creating local jobs using local businesses,” he said.
“The Territory is the nation’s comeback capital and will emerge from the coronavirus crisis with a jobs-led recovery.
“We threw the kitchen sink at saving jobs, and now we are on the road to recovery we will keep doing it with jobs.”
CLP federal senator Sam McMahon shared the chief minister’s enthusiasm.
“Building this world-class university campus is also expected to provide a $600m boost to the Darwin economy over a 30-year period,” she said.
“It will create an estimated 54 ongoing jobs every year and provide a long-term boost to local businesses.
“Through this City Deal, we are emphasising some of the best this great city has to offer while creating sustainable infrastructure and jobs to stimulate the local economy.
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“That’s exactly what this precinct will do, by attracting more students to the city and allow the university to provide even more specialised courses.
“This means even more people will get a taste of what makes Darwin a great place to live, study and work and I am excited to see this major tender go out.”
The City Deal is a joint initiative of the Australian and Northern Territory governments and the City of Darwin.
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