New home for RMIT Link and the Student Union

• Address
• Project overview
• Project update
• Project timeline
• Consultants

Address

Plenty Road, Bundoora.

Project overview

Building 204 on the Bundoora West campus has been allocated for the development of a student amenity centre. The building is ideally located for this purpose. It lies adjacent to the main cafeteria and bookshop and is positioned on the “central spine” running through the campus.

1:1 Architects has worked closely with RMIT student user groups to design a tailor-made space for the diverse range of students who will be utilising the building.

The architects found inspiration in Building 204’s unusual crescent shape, which triggered the idea to populate the building with loose furniture and movable partitions to create temporary and more defined areas for different student user groups. This allows for adaptation of the building over time as students’ requirements change.

The entire north-facing façade of the building will be opened up and flooded with natural light. A series of large entrances with coloured, double storey, sliding glass doors will be incorporated into the perimeter wall and will flow out onto a courtyard.

The building will also be distinguished by sustainable design. The building has been designed to enable it to be used in a number of ways, thereby, eliminating the need for building additional spaces and the use of additional materials.

Features:

• light recreational space
• lounge areas
• meeting areas
• womyn’s room
• queer room
• postgraduate lounge
• office and administrative space for the Student Union and RMIT Link
• storage and hot-desk facilities
• Sustainable design features include:
• direct evaporative cooling
• installation of insulation boards to improve thermal efficiency of existing roof
• permeable paving to allow water to reach existing tree roots
• OSB board for internal wall finishes which is made from recycled timber
• Sustainable and biodegradable floor finishes

Project update

October – December 2009

Construction is now complete and the facility is set to open for Semester 1, 2010.

May – September 2009

Substantial constructions works have been rolled out over this five-month period and the renovation is earmarked for completion by mid October.

February – April 2009

Construction works are underway and the project is on schedule for completion by the end of August, 2009.

Project timeline

Work begins	February 2009
Work ends	Mid October, 2009

Consultants

RMIT Project Manager	Paul Bugge
RMIT Manager, Client Relations	Brad Bartlett
Architect	1:1 Architects

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