The Science Place sustainable building - Queensland, Australia

The Science Place is a new $85 million teaching and research facility at James Cook University at its Townsville Campus in Australia. The 6 minute educational documentary short film captures the sustainability features of the building and its architectural excellence.

The Science Place is the first education building in Australia to achieve LEED Gold certification. It is also the first LEED Gold Certified building rated for its construction in Queensland. LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is the most admired green-building rating system in the world.

The Science Place is a world-leading sustainable building designed to emit 40% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to a traditionally designed building; while also prioritising the comfort of staff, students and guests.

The film shows how good design can change the way our property sector impacts our environment. The Science Place demonstrates unique features that we hope others in sub-tropical climates will learn from and copy.

  • Ben O'Callaghan
    Director
  • Ben O'Callaghan
    Writer
  • Ben O'Callaghan
    Producer
  • Jed Cahill
    Camera Operator
  • Mark Trenery
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Science, Education
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 24 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 5, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ben O'Callaghan

Masters in Architecture (University of Sydney)
Bachelor of Information Technology (Australian National University)
Green Star Accredited Professional

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Ben O'Callaghan is a sustainable design advisor who creates films about environmental leaders in his spare time. These focus on the property sector, which contributes to almost 40% of the earth's greenhouse gas emissions. Ben is passionate about promoting and showcasing the most innovative projects in the world so everyone can be inspired by them.
The Science Place building is an exemplar that demonstrates what is possible with a holistic and sustainable design approach. The film had multiple audiences including building occupants, current staff and students, future staff and students and the public. This made it more challenging to direct and edit but the result contains all the key messages in a dynamic and yet educational way.