November Project Update

Following the approval of the New Student Precinct Business Case by the University, the Project is now entering the Implement phase.

Following the approval of the New Student Precinct Business Case by the University, the Project is now entering the Implement phase.

As part of this phase, early and enabling works are set to commence in the New Student Precinct in December. These works will be ongoing to September 2018 and will involve the demolition of the John Smyth Building and the western-annex of the Alice Hoy Building and the removal of the raised plaza surrounding the Frank Tate Building. The Project is committed to recycling and salvaging wherever possible, including the re-use of bluestone pavers, lights and wooden seating. The delicate relocation of existing outdoor art pieces is also underway.

A hoardings and activations pilot project in partnership with Next Wave Festival and Arup is underway. The pilot project includes mentoring opportunities for students and an evaluation framework in development to support the evaluation of the Precinct’s Activations work-stream. This pilot project is part of a collaboration with Property and Sustainability Administration and Finance, and the Major Project Portfolio to develop a strategy that focuses on enhancing the campus user experience.

The process of appointing the architect team to design the Precinct is progressing and will be confirmed in late December 2017.

Two Open Morning Teas were presented by New Student Precinct Ambassadors in October, providing an opportunity for staff and students to view the Precinct animation, share food and drink served from the Fair Food UniCycle and hear more about the Project.

A feature story in the University of Melbourne alumni magazine, 3010, was published in October. The story, Reimaging a Campus, provided an overview of the vision and objectives of this revolutionary new development on the Parkville campus.

The New Student Precinct has just been confirmed as signature project for the University’s soon to be released Reconciliation Action Plan 3.

Eight Sustainable Design Principles have been confirmed through a robust co-creation consultation with staff and students. The survey closed at the end of September with 259 respondents in addition to the 25 staff and students who participated in the initial Sustainable Design Principles workshop in July. As part of the Project’s co-creation commitment to providing a feedback loop, contributors to the consultation were notified of the outcome via the digital platform Campaign Monitor.