Translational Research Institute (TRI): wide-span roofing, low-pitch performance and 37.5-metre wall sheeting for a landmark medical research facility
16 September 2026
Overview
Stramit supplied Speed Deck Ultra® in COLORBOND® steel Copper Penny™ Metallic finish across the roof and walls of the Translational Research Institute (TRI) in Brisbane. The concealed-fixed profile and Stramit Farlap® roof lap joint system gave Wilson Architects and Donovan Hill the wide spans, low roof pitches and long, continuous wall runs the project demanded.
The warm metallic finish tied the building into its campus setting and broader architectural material palette. The result is one of Australia’s most advanced medical research facilities and a dazzling building that takes on the silhouette of a hilltop, extending the mountains on the edge of the city.
Project Summary
|
Location |
Woolloongabba, Brisbane, QLD (Princess Alexandra Hospital precinct) |
|
Client |
Translational Research Institute |
|
Architect |
Wilson Architects + Donovan Hill (in association) |
|
Builder |
WATPAC |
|
Installer |
Padstar Roofing |
|
Roof Cladding |
Stramit Speed Deck Ultra® in COLORBOND® steel Copper Penny™, Metallic finish |
|
Wall Cladding |
Stramit Speed Deck Ultra® in COLORBOND® steel Copper Penny™, Metallic finish |
Challenge
TRI brings four major research organisations, The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland Health, and Mater Research, together under one roof. The $354 million facility accommodates up to 900 researchers and support staff on the Princess Alexandra Hospital campus. It enables a ‘bench-to-bedside’ process where treatments can be discovered, produced, clinically tested and manufactured in a single location. Accommodating this scale of research activity while delivering the building's distinctive architectural form created significant demands on the roofing and cladding system.
The design called for a roof that could span wide enough to house a large array of equipment. The roof’s form takes on the shape of a hilltop, extending the silhouette of the mountains on the edge of the city. Delivering those wide spans, together with low roof pitches and 37.5-metre continuous wall sheeting runs, placed demanding requirements on the roofing and cladding system.
Product Solution
Stramit Speed Deck Ultra® in COLORBOND® steel Copper Penny™ Metallic finish was specified across both the roof and walls. The concealed-fixed profile’s strength and wide cover made the long, economical spans possible, while its large water-carrying capacity and weather-tightness allowed the low roof pitches the design required. On the walls, the same profile ran in continuous 37.5-metre lengths, giving the façade an uninterrupted, cohesive expression.
The Stramit Farlap® roof lap joint system made the long sheet runs practical, providing a multiple-sheet option for long-length concealed-fixed roofs and helping achieve the continuous roof form required by the design. The Copper Penny™ Metallic finish picked up on a palette introduced through a vibrant wall of rose glass and the terracotta bricks of the outdoor room, integrating the steelwork into the building’s broader material language.
Support Solution
Stramit’s role extended across specification and installation. The combination of wide-span roofing, very low pitches and 37.5-metre wall sheeting required a system that could perform at scale and be installed consistently over long runs.
Stramit brought the product experience and technical data to support the design team’s decisions and worked with installer Padstar Roofing to help translate the specified roofing and walling system into a buildable outcome. Stramit’s long-length manufacturing capability and the Farlap® system were central to delivering the continuous roof and wall runs the architectural design demanded.
Outcome
TRI demonstrates how Stramit’s products and technical support can carry an ambitious, high-specification research facility from concept to completion. The Speed Deck Ultra® roof delivers the wide spans and low-pitch performance the building’s equipment load and architectural form require, while the COLORBOND® Copper Penny™ Metallic cladding unifies roof and walls into a single, warm material palette.
Today, TRI operates as a benchmark for Australian collaborative medical research, demonstrating how roofing and walling performance can support both architectural vision and building functionality.
low roof pitch
science & research
roofing and wall cladding
qld
low roof pitch science & research Commercial qld
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