The University of Melbourne

The lecture theatre is located in a heritage building on the Parkville Campus. We were engaged by the University to develop a design that made use of redundant foyer space to increase the functionality of the lecture theatre. Collaborating with the stakeholders, that included the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education and University Space Planning, we developed an idea that converted the redundant foyer space into a 30 seat collaborative classroom that through the use of acoustic glass screens and a custom audio visual installation can open up onto the lecture theatre. 

Besides using the new room as a standalone teaching spaces, combined with the lecture theatre it enables the two teaching spaces to be used together in a number of ways unique to a typical lecture theatre:

• The collaborative classroom space can be used as an observation space of the lecture in progress.
• The classroom space can open onto the lecture theatre to increase capacity.
• The classroom can be used as a support or withdrawal space to the  lecture theatre, akin to a ‘green room’ enabling groups of students to prepare for presentations or to support group work.