The CPF Building is part of the globally significant SKAO project, one of the world’s most advanced scientific initiatives aimed at building the largest and most sensitive radio telescope on Earth. With one of its main observatory sites located in Western Australia, the project places the region at the heart of groundbreaking global radio astronomy.

This unique facility required advanced BIM and design management across architectural, structural, and hydraulic disciplines. The Design/BIM Manager led a team of 12 designers and senior designers, overseeing coordination, BIM execution, and compliance with Australian standards. The role also included managing global stakeholder meetings and ensuring seamless collaboration across all disciplines.

Key technical features of the project included:

• Maser Clocks:
  The building housed three maser clocks with accuracy up to 10⁻¹⁶ seconds—dividing one second into 10 quadrillion parts.

  • Such extreme precision demanded strict environmental control.

  • Even human movement could affect clock performance, requiring a detailed vibration study to mitigate any impact.

• RFI Shielding (Radio Frequency Interference):
  To protect the surrounding array of 131,072 highly sensitive antennas from internal electronic noise:

  • The building was fully wrapped in two layers of 3mm steel sheeting.

  • This created a controlled, shielded environment that prevented radio frequency emissions from escaping the building and interfering with telescope operations.