Project overview

JCA, working in Association with Architectus, were appointed to complete the transformation and adaptive reuse of the University of New England’s former Boilerhouse into a community and children focused space of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths) discovery. Encouraging regional children to explore and develop an interest in STEAM disciplines, the Boilerhouse Discovery Space will include spaces of awe and wonder dedicated to music + performance, space + the universe, ecosystems, geology + archaeology, patterns + numbers, agriculture, energy, brain building, and construction. The project will provide both UNE and the greater regional community of New England a unique and educationally focused tourist facility. This complex re-imagination of a once utilitarian building demonstrates the power of architecture in the collective community consciousness. The original building is unique in its form and has long been a key identifier of the Campus and its new role will seek to continue that historical legacy and identity but through the lens of youth.