SHAPE takes home a 2026 Master Builders NT Award for Charles Darwin University’s landmark facility
SHAPE Darwin has received the Commercial/Industrial Construction $20 Million – $50 Million award for Charles Darwin University’s Centre for Better Health Futures at the 2026 Master Builders NT Excellence in Building and Construction Awards.
Delivered at CDU’s Casuarina Campus, the 5,000 sqm centre supports the Territory’s first medical program, alongside nursing, paramedicine and allied health education. Its two interconnected three-storey buildings feature simulated hospital and clinical environments, immersive virtual reality technology, consultation rooms and advanced online teaching spaces.
Delivering the highly technical facility required complex structural solutions and careful coordination as the design evolved. The structure incorporated suspended and post-tensioned slabs, cantilevered stairs and screened awnings across three levels. A key feature was the 49-metre Spantec roof, which was rolled and craned into position on site to reduce material use and improve installation efficiency.
During construction, SHAPE also incorporated revised fire engineering, accessibility upgrades and additional teaching spaces on Level 3. The team resequenced works to accommodate the expanded scope, and meet CDU’s occupancy requirements.
The project brought together more than 500 workers, including 68 apprentices and trainees and 35 Indigenous workers, with 90 per cent of project spend reinvested locally.
“This award is an outstanding recognition of the skill and commitment behind one of our most significant projects in the Northern Territory,” said Nicholas Mills, General Manager - NT at SHAPE.
“The Centre for Better Health Futures brought together complex construction, specialist technology and evolving design requirements, all delivered through strong collaboration with Charles Darwin University and our local project partners. We are incredibly proud to have helped create a facility that will support the future of healthcare education and delivery across the Territory.”
The win recognises both the technical delivery of the Centre for Better Health Futures and the local workforce that helped bring it to life.
Find out more about the Centre for Better Health Futures at Charles Darwin University.
