Deakin University Waurn Ponds Campus – Building KA Infill
About this project
The Building KA Infill project at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds Campus was designed to optimise underutilised space within the existing four-storey structure. The infill development strategically targeted the central courtyard area, creating additional accommodation across levels 3, 4, and 5 to support the expanding needs of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE), School of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Information Technology (IT), and the Pattern Recognition and Data Analytics (PRaDA) research group.
As with many brownfield developments, the project presented challenges that required careful consideration of impacts on the existing structure and services. Maintaining a safe and operational building throughout construction was a key priority.
BSA assessed and developed various performance solutions to address fire safety and life safety compliance, particularly in response to the complex conditions posed by the existing building layout and systems. Our involvement ensured that the new infill met all regulatory requirements while enhancing the building’s functionality and amenity.
The result is a smart, efficient expansion that supports collaborative research, flexible workspaces, and improved capacity for academic teams—delivered safely, compliantly, and with minimal disruption to campus operations.
BSA’s Role and Scope of Work
As a registered building surveyor and BCA consultant, BSA provided early design input to ensure the project aligned with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and Deakin’s internal design brief. We worked closely with the project team to:
- Identify compliance pathways early in the design phase
- Issue staged building permits for structural and fit-out works
- Conduct inspections at key milestones to verify code compliance
- Certify the building’s readiness for occupation through final occupancy permits
The project presented challenges typically experienced with brownfield projects where consideration needed to be given in relation to impacts on the existing building and maintaining a safe and functioning building during construction.
Various performance solutions in relation to fire safety and life safety matters were considered and assessed due to challenging existing conditions.
The end result was a clever utilisation of space which was previously an underutilised void and created an increase in valuable floor area over 2 levels of the existing 4 storey building.
Our approach
This project exemplified our proactive and collaborative approach to complex brownfield developments. We prioritised:
- Minimising disruption to the operational campus environment
- Maintaining safety for building occupants during construction
- Navigating legacy conditions through tailored performance solutions
We developed and assessed multiple performance-based solutions to address fire safety and life safety compliance, particularly in response to the challenges posed by integrating new works within an existing structure.
