UQ Forgan Smith Teaching Spaces

University of Queensland

St Lucia

Education

The challenge

Built between 1937 and 1952, the University of Queensland’s Forgan Smith building is a testament to the handcrafted traditions of our state’s early building industry. Picture classic sandstone carvings adorning an imposing main structure – everything solid as a rock.

Box & Co continued this tradition of exceptional craftsmanship when we were entrusted with a major refurbishment of the building’s teaching space – the entirety of which was constructed through a keyhole.

The solution

Our team set about revitalising the university’s first lecture theatre and tutorial spaces, delivering a 180-seat auditorium and two smaller seminar areas.

  • Large-scale demolition of existing structure
  • Significant new structural works, including underpinning existing walls and laying new auditorium slabs and tiers
  • New fit-out finishes throughout
  • Installation of full AV systems
  • Installation of an electronic glass-switching system that allows users to change the glass from clear to opaque with the flick of a switch

The Outcome

With so much at stake, our team pulled out all the stops to ensure the finishing standards on this project – a building of huge historical significance – were exceptionally high.

Our quality assurance system ensured all subcontracting work was completed to the letter, with the plaster finishes, joinery fittings and floor finishes requiring precise attention to detail.