The Stage 1A design phase began with a series of intensive design and integration workshops, to translate the University’s functional brief and its aspirations around research excellence, integrated teaching and learning, industry engagement, and environmental leadership into a series of strategic aspirations and spatial intents.

The functional components of the project were considered in terms of their functional, spatial and environmental requirements; they were co-located in order to cluster those spaces with similar requirements to maximise structural and services efficiency.

Some strategic aspirations include celebrating the entanglement and interdependence of all aspects of the project’s design and performance especially Country, ecology, engineering and technology; creating a dynamic & changeable campus that offers a counterpoint to the more established character of Parkville; supporting user flexibility with a robust shell that contains readily adaptable & manipulatable interior spaces; recognising & learning from First Nations technologies for future engineering systems, especially manipulation of waterways.