Teaching and Learning through the Project

In 2017, the New Student Precinct Project continued a dynamic program of integrated teaching and learning opportunities. Students were given the chance to participate in placements with the Project Team or internships with Project consultants, and the opportunity to use the Precinct as a real-world case study for their coursework. In addition, the Project has supported two research projects.

Coursework - This year, the New Student Precinct Project Team supported the coordination of curricular teaching and learning opportunities in association with the Melbourne School of Design, the Melbourne School of Engineering, and the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences.

The Melbourne School of Design ran design studios with coursework referencing the New Student Precinct Project, through the Masters of Architecture and the Masters of Construction Management. As part of the Masters of Architecture design studio, students were required to develop designs for the New Student Precinct Gate 8 'Welcome Mat', with the aim of creating a welcoming new focal point for student life on campus. The Masters of Construction Management subject saw students working in groups to write a report and present it to peers on the tendering and bidding procedures for the New Student Precinct Project.

For the Masters of Engineering Management, students were asked to develop an Engineering Project Management Plan; and as part of the Green Infrastructure course in the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science, students were asked to design a green roof for the Frank Tate Building and the new Arts and Cultural building in the New Student Precinct.

Work Integrated Learning Opportunities (WIL) - WIL opportunities help students to gain valuable employment skills and provide industry partners with access to our brightest minds, as well as unique recruitment opportunities, by connecting with the next generation of leaders in their field. Two students from the Melbourne School of Engineering are doing summer internships at engineering firm Robert Bird Group, who are engaged as part of the New Student Precinct Early and Enabling works consulting team.

Project Placements - Three students were engaged as part of the Project Team as a Project Assistant, a Communications Assistant and a Sustainability Project Assistant. The Project Team benefited from the students’ dedication and valuable insights into a project that has their interests at its core.

Research - Two students embraced the New Student Precinct project as a topic for their research theses in 2017, including Zack Dahdoule whose Architectural thesis involved research into strategies to deal with the depletion of Teaching and Learning space during the development of the New Student Precinct and Melbourne School of Engineering sites. Zack has since gone on to become a part of the Project Team, bringing his architectural prowess and detailed knowledge of the site constraints during development phases.

Landscape Architecture PhD student, Wendy Walls, is also using the Precinct site as a testing ground to analyse the various micro-climates in the space. Wendy’s research investigates temperature behaviour in micro-climates and how our design team can use this information to create external space for use all year round. Wendy also led a design studio with 65 students that asked groups to design the Precinct's landscape in consideration of the lowering of the ground plane and the Precinct's micro-climates.

A Precinct landscape render from the student group 'Dallas'.

2018 and beyond - Looking forward, the Project Team will seek to continue developing comprehensive opportunities for coursework, placements and internships across faculties and disciplines, with a high-level commitment to running both curricular and co-curricular subjects each year.

Next Wave, next year - This year, the Project launched an exciting partnership with the artistic platform Next Wave to produce creative works and opportunities that will provide students the opportunity to work alongside established and emerging artists in 2018.