Project
CAE Sydney Aviation Training Centre
Client
CAE, Inc.
Location
St Peters, Sydney, Australia
Area
76,800 ft² (7 135 m²)
Year of construction
2024
Sustainability
Targeting a 5-star Green Star design rating
The Goal:
To design a state-of-the-art aviation training facility for flight and cabin crew that embodies aviation's core values by consolidating multiple training functions into a cohesive learning environment. The facility needed to accommodate up to eight full-flight simulators, cabin crew emergency training equipment, and classrooms while providing a physical environment that reinforces the industry's commitment to safety protocols, sustainable operations, and efficient resource utilization.
The Process:
The design of the training facility stemmed from a deep understanding of how built environments can reflect and reinforce operational values. Just as aircraft design balances numerous technical requirements with user experience, the facility’s architecture needed to integrate complex technical systems with human-centered learning spaces.
Safety
Safety—aviation’s highest priority—shaped core design decisions. Key building systems incorporated redundancy principles directly borrowed from aircraft design, including backup power systems and fail-safe environmental controls for simulation spaces. Sound isolation between training areas was carefully engineered to prevent disruption during essential learning activities, while fire protection systems surpassed standard building code requirements to align with aviation’s stringent approach to risk management.
Sustainability
Sustainability propelled the project towards a targeted 5-star Green Star rating, reflecting the aviation industry’s evolving commitment to environmental responsibility. The design incorporated energy-efficient systems with enhanced monitoring capabilities (similar to aircraft performance systems), passive design strategies to maximize natural light where appropriate, and water conservation measures including greywater recycling. Materials were chosen for their durability and low environmental impact; mirroring how modern aircraft are conceived with lifecycle impacts in mind.
Efficiency
Efficiency—critical to aviation economics—manifested in the facility’s carefully optimized layout. A linear program arrangement positioned personnel areas along the main façade to maximize natural light, while each floor served a specific function: the ground floor for wide-body trainers and emergency equipment, the first floor dedicated to simulators and procedural trainers, and the second floor containing classrooms and administration. This systematic organization of space mirrors how aircraft interiors are designed for maximum functional efficiency with minimal wasted space.
Collaboration
The collaborative design process engaged multiple stakeholders, including training instructors, simulator technicians, and sustainability specialists. It employed a systems-integration approach that parallels how aircraft components are designed through multidisciplinary collaboration.
The Impact
The completed facility serves as a physical embodiment of aviation’s core values. Every design decision reinforces the culture and protocols that training participants will carry into their careers. The building becomes a teaching tool, with its infrastructure showcasing the same principles governing aircraft design and operation.
Students transitioning between classrooms, briefing spaces, and simulator bays experience spatial sequences that mirror real operational workflows, reinforcing procedural thinking. Technical spaces like simulator halls demonstrate the same attention to precision and redundancy found in aircraft systems, with the built environment physically manifesting the industry’s uncompromising approach to safety.
The facility’s sustainable features allow CAE to demonstrate its environmental commitments tangibly, while efficient space utilization maximizes the training capacity within the available footprint. This supports up to 4,500 pilots and cabin crew annually and helps address the growing global need for aviation professionals.
Project Features
- Comprehensive training environment consolidating multiple training functions into one coherent facility
- Eight full-flight simulator bays with both modern EMM and legacy HPU systems
- State-of-the-art cabin crew emergency training facilities including wide-body trainers, door trainers and slide trainers
- Sophisticated sound isolation systems mirroring the industry's attention to environmental factors affecting performance
- Redundant technical systems reflecting aviation's approach to safety-critical operations
- Advanced building management systems providing real-time monitoring similar to aircraft systems
- Energy-efficient design targeting a 5-star Green Star rating, embodying the industry's sustainability journey
- Linear programming that optimizes functional efficiency and workflow, similar to aircraft interior logic
