SHAPE is proud to have been recognised at the Master Builders SA 2025 Building Excellence Awards, with two University of Adelaide projects receiving top honours. The Quantum Materials Laboratory was awarded Commercial Refurbishment and Redevelopment over $5 million, while the Union House Redevelopment won Commercial Fit-out over $5 million. These awards celebrate excellence in design, construction, and delivery, recognising projects that set new benchmarks across the industry. This year’s award gala was held on Friday, 15 August 2025 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
SHAPE delivered the University of Adelaide’s Quantum Materials Laboratory refurbishment within a 100-year-old heritage-listed building, creating the first facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The laboratory includes two Class 1,000 cleanrooms for fabrication and lithography and two Class 10,000 cleanrooms supporting a Molecular Beam Epitaxy laboratory. Meeting the project’s technical demands required extreme precision. SHAPE led a coordinated 3D modelling process, resolving over 1,600 service clashes and embedding staff with the mechanical contractor to plan every detail. Strict air control and contamination prevention measures were applied, with orbital welding completed after the cleanroom envelope was installed.
SHAPE transformed The University of Adelaide, Union House, a state heritage-listed building, into modern flexible spaces for students. Across five floors, the refurbishment introduced a new student fitness hub, upgraded amenities and study areas, and a restaurant and function space operated by the National Wine Centre. Union House presented complex challenges including undocumented services, hidden structural elements, hazardous materials and heritage considerations. Innovative solutions such as carbon fibre slab reinforcement allowed major upgrades without invasive demolition, while careful sequencing maintained operations in live areas.
Grant Patterson, General Manager SA at SHAPE, said, “These awards reflect the dedication, skill and collaboration of our teams. Both projects presented unique challenges from the technical precision required in the Quantum Materials Laboratory to the heritage-sensitive refurbishment of Union House. We are incredibly proud to see our teams’ hard work recognised by the industry and we want to thank our project partners, consultants and contractors whose expertise and collaboration were vital in delivering these exceptional outcomes for our clients and communities."
