The University of Melbourne’s System Garden is the oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere, and students still use it to learn 160 years after it was first planted.
It’s now the tranquil setting for the university’s first shared teaching and learning facility for the life sciences, including medical, health and veterinary training.
The new building turns what was once a ‘back-of-house’ entrance to the university into a beautiful, vibrant place where people come together each day. We designed this building to nestle within, complement and reflect its surroundings, with a curved shape that’s inspired by the concentric layout of the historic gardens.
The spaces within provide the perfect backdrop for new ways of teaching and learning – and greater innovation. Details like patterns on the wall that resemble what’s under the microscope remind users what this place is all about.
A sweeping timber staircase brings students from the different sciences together as they move around the building. There are places for working together and taking time out as well as technical and clinical areas for concentrated learning and practical investigations.
Together with our client, we designed the building to expand minds and spark discoveries – preparing students for more successful careers in a fast-changing world.
