Academic Centre, Ormond College, University of Melbourne

The Academic Centre is an adaptive re-use of the heritage listed, octagonal-shaped Romberg & Boyd building circa 1968, located at Ormond College. The transformation represents a cohesive, contemporary integration of library, technology, pedagogy and materiality.

Project Details

Architects
McGlashan Everist in conjunction with A/Pr Peter Jamieson and A/Pr Rufus Black

Award
Winner Category 3: Renovation over $1M

Project Overview

The educational brief for the Academic Centre was to create a space that would support the diversity of learning styles of the modern student and provide the ability to use and access knowledge in its many forms. The learning spaces brief was developed through a detailed study of the variety of ways that students attain knowledge. The common styles of learning, teaching and studying were identified with spaces designed to support their specific requirements.

Planning process

  • Extended back to 2004 and extremely comprehensive Education brief
  • Extensive consultation
  • “Outcome represents the community values of the College” Contemporary Design
  • Extraordinarily beautiful design that supports a multitude of learning modalities including:
    • Individual learning
    • Pod and booth learning
    • Group learning
    • Podium presentation
    • Reflective learning
    • Tutorials
    • Reading
    • Social learning Flexibility
  • Time flexibility or adaptability by adapting an existing building to a new use
  • Space flexibility or transformability with large sliding glass doors between some spaces
  • Use flexibility or polyvalence with a range of spaces that can be used in a range of different ways
  • Movement flexibility or fluidity with an ease of interconnected spaces and a relationship over two floors Materials, colour and light
  • Timber, wool, leather, recycled copper, cork and brick
  • A light well with external windows that frame the views
  • Soft furnishings Sustainability
  • Reuse of a building and materials rather than new
  • Consideration of embodied energy
  • Thermal mass
  • Openable windows
  • Central void for ventilation and daylight
  • Hydronic heating and night purging
  • Finally beautifully presented drawings
  • Beautiful, just beautiful