SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CENTRE

Note: This Centre is a teaching area and classes may be in progress, please be mindful and move quietly around these spaces.

• TheScienceandEngineeringCentre(SEC)isalearningspaceforthewholecommunity–students,researchers,industry,schoolsandthepublic–withafocusoneducationandresearchinsustainabletechnology.TheCentrehaschangedthewaystudentslearn,providingamoreinteractive,collaborativeandreal-worldfocussedenvironment.

• Ithousesstate-of-the-artlabsforresearchintheInstituteforFutureEnvironments(IFE).ResearchersandstaffintheInstitutestudyhowournatural,builtandvirtualenvironmentsinteract,changeandconverge,tofindwaystomakethemmoresustainable,secureandresilient.Ithousessomeofthenation’smostadvancedelectronmicroscopesina$17millionanalyticalresearchfacility.

• SEChasachieveda5-starDesignEducationV1CertifiedratingfromtheGreenBuildingCouncilofAustralia,makingitoneofthehighest-rated‘green’buildingsinBrisbane’sCBD.

• Itispoweredbyacombinationofgridpower,naturalgasandsolarenergy,generatingenoughelectricitytopoweritselfandputpowerbackintotheQUTgrid.

• Aworld-leadingcentreforthedevelopmentofScience,Technology,EngineeringandMathematics(STEM).• SECwasjointlyfundedbytheCommonwealthGovernment($75million),theQueenslandGovernment($35million),Atlantic

Philanthropies($25million)andQUT($95million).

SEC consists of two multi-storey towers with stimulating learning and research spaces:• YBlock(acrossthelawn)–housesthecampus’supportservices,alargefunctionroomwith360degreeviewsoverthecity,

SouthBank,andKangarooPoint,aswellasstate-of-the-artresearchspaces.• PBlock–hometoTheCube,aswellasexcitingfoodandretailspaces,collaborativestudyspaces,large300-personlecture

theatres,andmoreresearchzones.• Betweenthesetwobuildings,underneaththeground,isa50mFINA-approvedswimmingpool(similartoanOlympicpool)and

1300m2gym.

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Start tour – level 4 (Main Entrance near Old Government House) at the entrance to The Cube

Science&EngineeringCentre(P&YBlock)

Self Guided Tour: SchoolsApprox. 35 mins duration

ABOUT THE CUBE

• TheCubeistheheartofQUT’s$230millionScienceandEngineeringCentre.

• TheCubeisasoaringtwo-storeyhighdigitaldisplaythatfeatures14high-definitionprojectorsandover40multi-touchscreens,acrosstwolevelsofSEC.

• TheCubeisoneoftheworld’slargestdigitallearninganddisplayspacesdesignedtoprovideaninspiring,explorativeandinteractiveexperience.

• TheCubeofferslearningandresearchopportunitiesforthecommunity–fromschoolstudentstoscientistsandengineers.OurresearchersuseTheCubetoshowcasetheirideasandtovisualise,modelandmanipulatebigdatasets.

• TheCubehasanembeddedLEGOEducationLearningProgram,wherehighschoolstudentstakepartinhands-onsessionsfocussingonrobotics,mechanismsandenergy.

• TheCubehostsarangeofdynamicpublicprogramsthatprovideaudienceswithnewpossibilitiesandmodesofengagingwithSTEAM:Science,Technology,Engineering,ArtandMathematics.

VirtualReef

THE CUBE - DIGITAL PROJECTS

TheCube’sdigitalprojectsrotateonaregularbasis.HerearesomeoftheprojectsyoumayseewhenvisitingTheCube:

Chem World isaninspiringandhands-onexperienceofchemistryanditsfundamentals.Thisprojectallowsstudentstoconductvirtualchemistryexperimentstoodangerousordifficulttoruninaclassroom.

Virtual Reef isalife-sizedmarineecosystemwhichprovidesanimmersive,simulatedunderwaterexperiencethatinvitesuserstolearnabouttheGreatBarrierReef’suniqueecosystem.

Robot Universityallowspeopleofallagestoengagewithrobots.Peoplecancommandrobotweapons,sendmessagestoarobotonMars,andchoosedomesticitemsforahouseholdrobot.ThisprojectwasTheCube’sfirstProductionResidency,partneredwiththeAustraliaCouncilfortheArtsLiteratureBoard.

Physics Playroomisagame-likeenvironmentwherepeopleofallagescanengageinlearningaboutphysics.Tappingintoourdesiretoconstructandtodeconstruct,theplayroomisaspacewherepeoplecancometogethertobuild(anddestroy)eachother’screationsinfunandengagingphysicssimulations.

ECOS usesinteractivedataandillustrationstohelppeopleunderstandhoweverydayenergyuseimpactspeopleina“green”building.Invitingplayandreflectionontheroleofgreenbuildings,ECOSpresentsdataonTheCubeusingasimpleandinteractivegame-likeapplication.

iCO2 teacheseco-drivingpracticesinagame-likeenvironmenttohelpdriversmaximisetheenergyefficiencyofeverydayvehicles.Competewithyourfriendsinanetworkedandmulti-user3Dsimulationtodrivevirtualvehiclesusingeco-drivingmethods.IniCO2,thewinnerisnotthefirstovertheline,butthepersonwhotravelsthefurthestonatankoffuel.

Long Time, No Seeisaninnovativeartprojectthatasksyoutoconsiderhowyourpersonalactions,gatheredduringareflectivewalk,mighthelpusallimaginepathwaystowardsmoresustainablefutures.YoucandoyourownwalkandcontributeyourreflectionsforthefuturebydownloadingtheLong Time, No See? iPhone/iPadapp.Theappwillguideyouthroughyourwalk,givingyouthingstothinkaboutandcontributeresponses(photographs,audiorecordings,notes)alongtheway.

Data Wall isaninteractiveprojectthatdisplaysvariouslayersoflocaldatatothecommunity.Cyclingthroughstatisticalandsociallygenerateddata,theDataWallallowsvisitorstosearchthroughlayersofBrisbanecity,fromlocalpublictransportroutestopublicart.Theprojectallowsthecommunitytoviewtheircityinadifferentlight,peelbackthelayersofBrisbaneandcontributetheirown.

Moreinformationabouttheseprojects,includingdailyprogrammingschedules,canbefoundat www.thecube.qut.edu.au/cube-screens

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SOLAR TERRACE

• Solarpanelsconvertsunlightintoelectricity.TherearestaticsolarpanelsacrossthecourtyardsandroofsoftheCentre,aswellassolar‘trees’thatareprogrammedtofollowthesun’spath.ThepowergeneratedbythesolarpanelsonanaveragesunnyOctoberdayisenoughtorun12standardhomesforaday(approx.200kWhrs).

• SECisprimarilycladinaspecialtypeofstate-of-the-artglass(directtourtoaglassbalustradetoshowthemthetwolayersofglasswithalayerofargongasinbetween).Thisreflectsalotofthesun’sheat,andincombinationwithshadesthatautomaticallyraiseandlowerwheninthesun’sdirectpath,wecanreducetheamountofcoolingthebuildingrequires.

• Notonlydowefollowthetraditionalmethodsofrecyclingpaperandplastics,butwealsorecycleourconstructionmaterials,likeconcreteandsteel.Greywaterandrainwaterarealsocollectedandreusedforirrigationandfillingtheswimmingpool.

Walk up the outside stairs, two floors to level 6, Solar Terrace (solar panels)

ChemWorld

Self Guided Tour: SchoolsApprox. 35 mins duration

Enter the automatic doors to the Atrium on level 6

Take the lift down to level 5

THE ATRIUM

The‘floating’roomaboveyouiswhereTheCubeisrunfrom–itactslikeagiantfloatingbrainfortheSEC.Thewholeroomissuspendedfromtheroofbyreinforcedbeamsamongtheskylights.

Totherightofthesuspendedroomonlevel9thereisatri-generationplant:• Energyisprovidedbyanaturalgasfiredgeneratortoproduce

electricityforthebuilding.Thisreducestheneedformainspower.Thetri-generationplantachievesanefficiencyofapproximately85%,whichisasignificantimprovementoverthe30%energyefficiencyofnormalmainspower.

• Thisplantisenvironmentallyfriendly,generatingabouthalfasmuchcarbondioxideandfewertoxicairemissionsthanelectricitygeneratedfromcoal.

• Excesswasteheatproducedbythegeneratorisusedtoheatandcoolthebuilding,andexhaustgasesareconvertedtonitrogenandoxygenandreleasedbackintotheatmospheretoreducepollutantemissions.

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LEARNING AND TEACHING SPACES

Levels4and5ofPBlockaretheLearningandTeachingspacesofSEC,providingmanydifferentenvironmentsforstudentstocollaborateandworktogetheronprojects.• Privateroomscanbeusedforgroupwork,withaccessto

MoCOWS(largemovabletouchscreensthatcanbeconnectedtoyourlaptopasexternalmonitors)

• Visitorscanrelaxininformalstudyspacesscatteredaroundthesetwofloors.Thecomputersarepositionedaroundtheseroundtablessothatmultiplepeoplecanworkatonecomputer,orworkindividuallyalongthebackwall.

Digitalprojectsonlevel5(onthescreensnexttothemarbletable):

The Arcade takesyouonatripdownmemorylaneinto80sstylegames,revitalisedinfull3Dandshowcasingthemathematicsbehindeachgame.IndulgeinnostalgiawithTheArcadeatTheCube,foroldandnewgamersalike.Builtintoeachgamearebehind-the-scenesmathematicalinsights,capableofshowingoffthealgorithmsthatgointoachievingsimplearcadefun.

Plasma Wall usesmotioncapturetechnologyforafunandcolourfulinteractiveexperienceofTheCube.LetyourbodytalkwithPlasmaWall’scollectionofabstractlightandmovementgames.Thewallintelligentlytracksyourmovementandthenmimicsitinits4mini-games,creatinganentirewallofinteractivefun.

TheCube,showinglevels4and5

TheAtrium

Self Guided Tour: SchoolsApprox. 35 mins duration