De-risking a Vital Building Construction Project at University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university’s main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany and various other facilities elsewhere.
UWA was established in 1911 by an act of the Parliament of Western Australia. It is the sixth-oldest university in Australia and was Western Australia’s only university until the establishment of Murdoch University in 1973. Because of its age and reputation, UWA is classed one of the “sandstone universities”, an informal designation given to the oldest university in each state. The university is also one of the “Group of Eight”. The University has approximately 19,100 full time students.
EventMAP were commissioned to undertake an analysis of the space requirements of the School of Business as it merged with the Graduate School of Management (GSM) enabled by a new building project. The University required a validation of the existing teaching room space profile for the new building, together with options for variation based on teaching activity capacity delivery.
EventMAP analysed the timetable data for the School of Business and the GSM. This was then mapped against the proposed new space profile. The initial modelling indicated that the space was insufficient to meet the needs of the Faculty. However, four scenarios were then developed to review and test how planning assumptions, such as the duration of the timetable day, target frequency of use and occupancy rates, could be modified to achieve an optimised outcome.
The analysis showed by varying the assumptions, the timetable activities could be accommodated within the proposed space profile. A final scenario presented indicated that space could be reduced while maintaining a viable timetable. This scenario was adopted by the University and the eventual construction reduced the total amount of teaching space, with this cost saving being reinvested in the quality of the fit-out. The University was able to deliver its timetable, but in a higher quality learning environment than initially envisaged due to EventMAP’s analysis.
Analysis was key to ensure the timetable could be delivered for the combined schools in the space being provided. EventMAP sector knowledge and modelling excellence led to data based decisions being taken and costs savings identified.
