A new vocational skills campus dedicated to fast-track workers directly into Australia’s construction industry is now open at TAFE NSW Nepean – Kingswood.

Designed by Gray Puksand, the brand-new state-of-the-art 7,500sqm construction hub has opened in partnership with TAFE NSW, CPB Contractors and Western Sydney University.

Developed in response to the critical need for skilled workers in Australia’s construction sector and reinforce the country’s growing infrastructure pipeline, the next-gen facility, the Institute of Applied Technology – Construction and Multi-Trades Hub is the first of its kind in Australia providing construction training from hands-on construction of full-scale buildings to project simulation rooms with virtual reality training.

The training hub will support learners to be job-ready through contemporary and industry-standard teaching and learning spaces, TAFE NSW relieving chief operating officer Brad McAndrew says.

“The facility has been specifically designed to cater to the skills needs of the construction industry now and into the future. It accommodates traditional trades training in large workshop spaces for carpentry, electrical, roof plumbing, and civil construction, while classroom and makerspaces can deliver Micro-credentials and Microskills in areas such as project management, contract administration, building information modelling, and digital skills in construction,” McAndrew explained.

“Our campuses are integral to local communities, so it was great to work with Gray Puksand, who understood our requirement for the building design to foster collaborative learning and community development,” he adds.

The design of the Kingswood campus was led by Gray Puksand partners Barry Hackett and Stephen Turner, who were responsible for the award-winning design of the $154-million Institute of Applied Technology – Digital and Multi-Trades Hub at TAFE NSW Meadowbank in 2023.

“Building on the success of the delivery at TAFE NSW Meadowbank, our objective with Kingswood was to create highly functional, accessible architecture. The building can be entirely circumnavigated, permitting views into and out of the spaces within. Central to our design philosophy was adaptability and flexibility, ensuring that the built environment remains conducive to the ever-evolving needs of skills training, without being constrained by physical limitations as technology advances in the years ahead,” says Turner.

Hackett confirmed that the architecture was used as a tool to cultivate a highly professional environment for students.

“Throughout the conceptual development phase, we collaborated closely with our stakeholders to cultivate a design that not only enhances vocational education and trades training, but also caters to the intricate technical demands articulated by TAFE NSW. The result is a high-quality design that prioritises practicality, fosters a robust social environment and provides cutting-edge learning environments, all meticulously tailored to meet the diverse needs of each trade skill base,” Hackett notes.

Gray Puksand designed the building to both educate and elevate construction methodology. The learning spaces are arranged in a tetris-like form under a projecting roof that is transparent in some sections to allow light into spaces deep inside the building.

Designed to accommodate the evolving needs of construction industry education well into the future with spaces of different widths and heights, the building itself is used as a learning tool, with all services and construction methods on display.

Gray Puksand is currently designing the $250-million Canberra Institute of Technology campus in Woden, which is now under construction.

Branko Miletic

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