It automatically adjusts its internal temperature for the comfort of its occupants and self-manages its energy output throughout the day.
The $135 million Advanced Engineering Building will be unveiled on Wednesday at the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus.
Collaborating designers HASSELL and Richard Kirk Architects have made the engineering and construction materials visible throughout the building to support the university's endeavour to create an interactive and practical learning environment.
The strain, movement and temperature gaugues embedded into the roof, walls, floors and columns of the complex are all visible, making the award-winning building a "live learning" site.
Students will be able to conduct structural experiments using the exposed features to measure the building's performance in various weather conditions.
UQ Faculty of Engineering executive dean Professor Simon Biggs said the building, which received joint-funding from federal and state governments, as well as engineering consultancy firm GHD, embodied the "future of higher education".
He said the building's designers had delivered on a challenging brief to create a complex that embodied an interactive learning environment and offered the most advanced teaching methods for the engineers of tomorrow, while incorporating state-of-the-art green technology specifically suited to the Queensland climate.
Each day the building makes informed and calculated decisions to measure and monitor internal and external conditions, contributing to a 40 per cent reduction in annual energy consumption.
Meanwhile, the building's glass fronted "regenerative" elevators reclaim energy produced by the elevators' brakes.
The impressive auditorium comprises an exposed 220-tonne timber truss roof, acoustic reflectors and vibration gauges and interactive touch screens display real-time information about the complex's operational performance.
HASSELL principal Mark Loughnan said having the engineering of the building on display encouraged students to engage with research and practical learning.
"The study of engineering is very much a hands-on experience, so we needed to create an environment that supports this physical approach," Mr Loughnan said.
Architect Richard Kirk added the building can be naturally ventilated for 183 days of the year through a visible labyrinth tunnel that efficiently cools the building's air.
The building, to be officially opened on Wednesday by Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek, has already gained a number accolates.
It has received three Australian Institute of Architects Awards in Queensland and was named the Brisbane Regional Building of the Year.
