BLP has recently completed the La Trobe University Melbourne City Campus Expansion, which delivers a complete refurbishment and two level expansion to Levels 1, 2 and 3 of 360 Collins Street. The new expansion marks La Trobe University’s committed offering of an innovative and engaged postgraduate experience in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.
The design adds new teaching and informal learning spaces for over 300 students, student break-out spaces, function areas, an outdoor terrace area, front of house and staff facilities, with all indoor areas being supported with state-of the-art IT/AV technology ensuring the campus can support teaching and learning outcomes well into the future.
All spaces are designed to enable the right balance between communal and individual use of space campus-wide, with social and learning areas integrated throughout the environment as collaborative spaces.
Design Leader Ariel Lopez commented, “We designed the campus with the mature postgraduate students demographic in mind, offering a formal aesthetic through the colour palette and chosen furnishings. Respecting the University’s design guidelines, we reinforced a strong sense of branding throughout but added brief moments of timber to lighten the experience of the spaces.”
Additionally, the campus offers a main access from the Little Collins Street plaza, drawing users into the front of house facilities on the second floor. The design intent of this feature is to allow the University to have a strong visual presence in the CBD, and publically present a formal sense of entry to the campus.
The project, led by Lopez, is one of the first delivered under La Trobe University’s “Fast Track” delivery program, with Design and Construction of the entire project completed within 10-months.
He added, “In order to maintain the integrity of the client’s design vision against the demands of the timeframe, our team engaged in 3D visualisation very early on in the design process, working closely with the client to establish and preserve a high level of design quality throughout this important space.”
The new and improved La Trobe Melbourne City Campus opened in March 2017 – watch a video exploring the campus here.
