Eucalypts are Australia’s most emblematic tree, and one variety, the scribbly gum, flourishes in the forests of Black Mountain. With multi-coloured trunks marked by the meandering trails of scribbly gum moths, the trees became the basis of the building’s organic colour palette and the random patterns of transparency formed by the folds of its signature screen.

The ground plane integrates with the site’s natural topography, sitting in harmony with its surroundings,minimising excavation and disturbance to natural habitats.

The project comprises two distinct components, laboratories and workspaces, with different functional requirements. We aimed to maximise diffuse daylight in the workspaces, while the lab’s sensitive materials needed protection from direct sun. Our solution was to split Synergy in two, with a central atrium at the juncture.

Angled glass panes deliver light into the labs while shielding bench surfaces from direct sun.

The workplace benefits independently from a unique facade with an enveloping sunscreen. A colourful formation of perforated aluminium louvres, the screen filters sunlight without interrupting views.

The brief aimed to reduce staff’s individual footprint, improve space efficiency, and create an environment more conducive to collaboration.

The proposal was initially met with some resistance. Our early engagement sessions with staff revealed scepticism about open-plan environments and their suitability for intensive research.

To ease this cultural shift, we conceived a plan based around self-contained neighbourhoods extending like arms from a communal space at the centre, forming the workplace’s signature ‘X’ shape. The neighbourhoods are non-enclosed workspaces divided into smaller clusters of around 28 people—determined to be the ideal number for acoustic comfort.

A full-height atrium links the X with the laboratory box, providing generous transparency between the two components. As the front door to the complex, the atrium provides the main circulation pathway through all four floors.

While the atrium achieves the required connectivity between the two components, PC2 (Physical Containment 2) certification standards call for high isolation between secure labs and unrestricted workplaces, this was achieved by adding an enclosed link atrium alongside the central atrium, with dedicated stairs allowing movement between laboratory floors without repeating security protocols.