The University of Adelaide, Australian Institute For Machine Learning (AIML) Formerly, Women’s Health Centre

To achieve a world-leading research and development institute, Sarah Constructions were engaged to perform internal and base building upgrades of a four-storey State Heritage building. This building is the Women’s Health Centre originally constructed in the 1930s with 2,900 square meters of floor space over four levels. The project required a complete refurbishment including extensive demolition to remove all services and retrofitted elements installed over time. This would expose the original base building internal architecture enabling restoration and construction of new internal offices.

The project scope grew substantially due to latent conditions, requiring extensive management and remediation by the construction team. Despite many challenges, the project delivered a modernised interior and sustainably designed building upgrade, sensitive to its heritage and made safe for future generations.

The Sarah team worked closely and collaboratively with the design team and heritage consultants over an extended period of time to ensure all works were respectful to the original build. On the ground floor heritage timber parquetry flooring was restored creating a feature upon entry to the building, archways and dado tiling were restored as well as extensive heritage terrazzo in the amenities areas.

Despite challenges associated with the age of the building, the project was completed to specification and within budget. The Women’s Health Centre is part of the Infrastructure Investment Program (IIP) at the University of Adelaide which includes a series of refurbishment, fit-out and extension capital works projects.