RMIT’s New Academic Street

RMIT’s New Academic Street | RMIT University
(Transcript with notations)

AUDIO: Ambient music

VISUAL: Professor Peter Coloe is being interviewed, intercut with images of the New Academic Street development and shots of the RMIT City campus

TEXT ON SCREEN: Pro-Vice Chancellor, Science, Engineering and Health, Professor Peter Coloe

PROFESSOR PETER COLOE SPEAKS: The new Academic Street is going to really open up level four of the city campus. It will create new lane-ways, it will create open space, it will create collaborative learning space, and quite a significant amount of social space. It will also enable students to move freely from building 80, across Swanson Street, into the new Academic Street developed area. Supporting that will be the development of areas such as a new media precinct, which will enable students to work in all aspects of media in relation to RMIT.

AUDIO: Ambient music

VISUAL: Jeremy Elia is interviewed in a campus hallway, intercut with images of him looking at the New Academic Street site from Bowen Street

TEXT ON SCREEN: New Academic Street Project Director, NAS Project Office, Jeremy Elia

JEREMY ELIA SPEAKS: This project is not just about bricks and mortar. It is a tangible investment in providing the best possible experience for our students now, and into the future.

AUDIO: Ambient music

VISUAL: Professor Owen Hughes is interviewed, intercut with images of RMIT’s City campus

TEXT ON SCREEN: Dean of Students, Professor Owen Hughes

PROFESSOR OWEN HUGHES SPEAKS: We're very excited about the new Academic Street project for our students. Our students will be able to get far better infrastructure from what they've had. Some of the buildings are rather tired. They turn away from Swanson Street. The new Academic Street project will make that far better. The library space will be increased to 2,000 spaces, where currently there are only 1,000. The new student hall will provide a one stop shop to students, rather than them having to queue for long periods in different locations. Thirdly, far better access through to the city, and places for students to hang out, which our students say they greatly value.

AUDIO: Ambient music

VISUAL: Carey Lyon interviewed, intercut with footage of architects looking at drawings and models of the New Academic Street at Lyon Architecture, footage of Swanston Street, and text slides describing the different stages of the project. 

TEXT ON SCREEN: Director, Lyons Architects, Carey Lyon

TEXT ON SCREEN: Stage A (July 2015 – February 2016). Building 8 – Student Hall, Library Enhancements (Levels 5 and 6), Building 10 – New Study Spaces (levels 9 – 13)

Stage B (October 2015 – December 2016). New Library in Building 10, New Balconies, New Retail Spaces, New Student Hall, New Media Precinct, New Rooftop Terraces, Bowen Street Landscaping

Stage C (December 2016 – July 2017). New Library in Building 8, New Retail, New Garden Building, New Entry Canopy

CAREY LYON SPEAKS: The incredible thing about the new Academic Street project is that it will build these really powerful connections between the city and the centre of the campus, because at the moment, it's pretty much a barricade on Swanson Street, with the grey buildings. The project will really open up connections for students to be able to get to the heart of the campus, and in doing so you actually build the experience for students that RMIT is like being part of the city in a very urban experience. The new Academic Street, it's a really innovative collaboration between five different architectural design practices. In fact all of whom are RMIT alumni. The idea is that we get this sense of diversity in the architecture so that actually builds for students a sense of choice and diverse experience as part of the idea of RMIT being a city based campus. We've been working on the project now for three and a half years, and now it's moving into the exciting phase, which is the construction. It's going to be delivered in three phases. By the start of 2016 there's going to be some great new student space on the upper levels of the building, and then after that there's going to be two more phases of delivering the project before the final project is complete and available.

AUDIO: Ambient music

VISUAL: Marcia Gough is interviewed in an office while facing the camera. It is intercut with footage of the hoarding in the construction zone, a meeting in an office

TEXT ON SCREEN: Executive Director, Human Resources, Marcia Gough

rmit.edu.au/nas, HR Assist: 9925 0600

MARCIA GOUGH SPEAKS: We have a number of initiatives that we've introduced to reduce the disruption on both staff and students during the NAS project. We have established the NAS Project Management Office. It's responsible for the overall change involved with NAS. It's also responsible for the communication strategy. To make sure that staff and students feel like they're being communicated with, and know how the change is going to affect them directly. We've also got a rules of engagement document. It's designed to reduce the disruption during working hours. We've also focused on the health and safety aspects of the project. We are making sure that we've got increased resources and processes for people to report incidents and hazards. We are making sure that we provide a safe environment for staff and students during this change. If you need any help or information at all, there are two great places to go to. Firstly the NAS website [rmit.edu.au/nas], and secondly call HR Assist directly [9925 0600].

AUDIO: Ambient music

TEXT ON SCREEN: President, RMIT University Student Union. Himasha Fonseka

VISUAL: Himasha Fonseka interviewed in an office, intercut with footage of retail spaces in Building 80, Swanston Street

HIMASHA FONSEKA SPEAKS: There's a lot of energy around the new Academic Street Project. We're really excited about the great new spaces to come. The additional microwaves and power outlets, retail outlets that are located for a diverse range of dietary requirements and tastes. We're also excited about the bar to come.

AUDIO: Ambient music

VISUAL: Peter Coloe interviewed, intercut with images of the New Academic Street facilities along Swanston Street

PETER COLOE SPEAKS: I'm really excited about the new Academic Street project, because it creates a new environment for students at RMIT. We'll be in a world class facility that's going to provide opportunities for students and staff to showcase what we're doing at RMIT, and it will create a learning environment where students can really excel.

AUDIO: Ambient music fades out

End of video.

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