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Media Release

May 12, 2005

Blueprint for the North delivers new education and health building

The fourth building in UniSA’s $100 million capital development plan will be unveiled at Mawson Lakes tomorrow, reenergising teacher and health sciences education in the north.

Named after highly respected South Australian education specialist, Garth Boomer (1940-1993), the building will be opened at 12.30pm at Mawson Lakes by the Chair of the National Board of Quality Teaching and Honorary Doctor of the University of South Australia, Dr Gregor Ramsay.

The new $11.5 million Boomer Building is a purpose-built facility that in the next two years will support up to 1200 University students in their studies to become teachers and health professionals.

Courses from the Human Movement degree program and graduate-entry Health and Physical Education programs will be taught alongside Bachelor degrees in Education (Primary and Middle) and Education (Design and Technology). The Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Education double degree and the Bachelor of Education (Adult, Vocational and Workplace Learning) are also based at Mawson Lakes. And the new Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement and Studies), Bachelor Education (Middle Secondary) will be based at Mawson Lakes from 2006.

Designed by GMB Architects and Russell Yelland Architects in association, the Garth Boomer building features natural light and space as a key component of its design. It also features environmental innovations including chilled beam air conditioning which is cheaper to run and allows individuals to adjust the temperature on a room by room basis.

Special facilities include a state-of-the-art science laboratory and design and technology workshops and multifunctional teaching spaces designed to allow close engagement with local school communities. Consultation with staff also played an important role in the design of indoor and outdoors spaces in the building to maximise shared spaces and performance areas.

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