Boilerhouse blog

Latest news

With magical lighting, and video projections on the magnificent concrete cylinder towering over UNE, it was a truly memorable night with many visiting for the very first time.  Steampunkers stood staring up at the huge concrete hopper and appreciating what was once the heating plant for the whole of the UNE....

27 November, 2019 /

Don’t forget our 'Curiosity Built the Boilerhouse' podcasts are being rolled out as we write this newsletter. The podcasts document the transformation of an old industrial boilerhouse building into a science themed play and discovery space on UNE’s Armidale campus....

29 March, 2021 /

The UNE Boilerhouse remediation and demolition work is finished, and the structure now stands stark and steely waiting to be transformed. Coffs Harbour Demolitions completed the final stages of the clean-up on the 18th of April 2019 leaving the site clean as a whistle, and ready to become a Children’s Discovery Space and STEAMpunk destination...

22 May, 2019 /

Right now there are nine incredible architectural teams piecing together their proposal that will outline how they will tackle the Boilerhouse project. So it’s relatively quiet on the Boilerhouse front. Quiet, that is, until the design storm starts... ...

08 July, 2020 /

"The Boilerhouse Project will enhance the Armidale's standing as an education destination bringing economic benefits to the entire region," Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall said. "This is why I'll be fighting my hardest to get it over the line."...

01 October, 2019 /

The Boilerhouse building is in the throes of a clean-up. Coffs Harbour Demolitions, who have extensive experience with asbestos and hazardous material elimination, are very carefully removing and disposing of contaminants, and stripping the award-winning building down to its bare bones. It will soon be a stunning concrete and steel shell upon which we can imagine a contemporary structure to inspire future generations....

19 September, 2018 /

Last century's coal-fired technology is on track for conversion into a 21st Century learning centre after the NSW Government contributed $6.1 million towards the University of New England's ambitious Boilerhouse Discovery project. Announced today, the funding enables UNE to start planning construction of a unique learning space for children within the shell of the old industrial building that once was UNE's source of winter warmth....

09 October, 2019 /

The University of New England’s “postcards from the Boilerhouse” art competition was celebrated with an awards night held at the ‘Stro at UNE main campus on Wednesday 8 August 2018. The historic Boilerhouse at the University of New England’s Armidale campus will be redeveloped into The Boilerhouse Discovery Space. To mark the initiative, UNE invited artists of all ages and stages to enter an art competition titled “postcards from the Boilerhouse” to capture various interpretations of this iconic structure. The competition was a huge success with 46 entries received.  ...

09 August, 2018 /

I was privileged to travel recently to the United States to attend Interactivity, the annual International Children’s Museum conference, this year called “Open Source Play: Sharing the Creative Code”. And not to waste a minute in such a rich learning environment, in a country where museums, galleries, playscapes and culture intertwine to create inspirational moments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, I took the opportunity to immerse myself in these places in New York and St Louis, Missouri....

27 June, 2018 /