University of Sydney Plots $70m Campus Building

Education spending continues to rise on the back of face-to-face learning returning as the University of Sydney plots a new campus building. Australia’s first university wants to build a five-storey learning hub at the corner of Western Avenue and Parramatta Road at the northern edge of its Camperdown campus. Plans for the Ross Street Teaching and Learning Hub are being assessed through the State Significant Development pathway and are on exhibition. The University of Sydney said in the application from MG Planning that the building would “accommodate the identified shortfall in quality teaching space across the university post-Covid-19”. The university said it would adopt a “teaching-at-scale methodology” to allow in-person learning “in accordance with its strategic plan and recent foreign legislative changes”. During the pandemic, higher education authorities allowed overseas students to undertake flexible and online learning, a policy now being pared back. Education providers including the University of Sydney, which has 71,000 local and international students, are now being required to return to compliance with face-to-face delivery requirements. ▲ A rendering of the proposed hub at Camperdown. The building would include large flat-floor teaching spaces, and more flexible spaces for educators. The adaptable building would also provide general teaching spaces to “address the shortfall of informal learning space required across campus”. It would have 6913sq m of gross floor area (GFA) over five floors—the ground floor and four full levels of formal and informal learning spaces to accommodate up to 1500 students. The ground floor would include a student commons, help desk and welcome point, food and beverage outlet and formal teaching spaces. ▲ A rendering of the Ross Street Teaching and Learning Hub, designed by BVN. “The aim is to establish the Ross Street Teaching and Learning Hub as an anchor for student activity, maximising opportunities for spontaneous engagement, and supporting the University ’ s 24-hour vision,” the application said. The building site is within the approved building envelope under the Stage 1 Campus Improvement Program State Significant Development approval and is expected to cost $70.2 million. Universities have been expanding into regional areas as satellite campuses and bolstering existing assets despite uncertainty over overseas student numbers. Griffith University acquired the Treasury Building in the Brisbane CBD to expand its city campuses, while the University of NSW is splashing $1 billion on a Canberra city project .

University of Sydney Plots $70m Campus Building

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University of Sydney Plots $70m Campus Building

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