[WLD25]

Key Dates

26 Sep 2024 -Launch Deadline
24 Oct 2024 -Standard
17 Jan -Extended Deadline
18 Jan -Judging
29 Jan -Winners Announced
Sunday, 07 December 2025 21:22 local time

Hawthorn Melbourne

Navitas / CIA Designs | Interior Design - Education

 
Image Credit : Nicholas Smith nicsmith@renascent.com.au 0432969951



Project Commissioner

Navitas

Project Creator

CIA Designs

Project Overview

The idea was a space that reflects the unique, urban, edgy culture of Melbourne, whilst seamlessly connecting the wider Victorian experience through a coastal, earthy landscape color palette inspired by the Great Ocean Road. Students benefit from a space that brings the outdoor Victoria experience into the metropolitan Melbourne campus.

Team

Sonia Mifsud Melanie Wong

Project Brief

Through CIA guidance on the selection of a site for a new campus, the final location was set for 333 Exhibition Street. Here the client required spatial efficiency and compliance as an education provider, and our challenge was to respond to this brief with the constraints of the floor plate and main entry points. A multi-functional student collaboration space is visible on arrival, giving new and potential students a taste of what it will be like studying at the new campus. The outcome is one which has invigorated students and staff alike.
As designers, we felt it important to reflect on what is on offer in Melbourne for students that differs from other Australian locations, which was of significance to the client in terms of attracting students to the facility. The edgy, urban Melbourne vibe is displayed in the exposed ceiling and concrete flooring and seamlessly flows into the color palette of the Victorian coastline in the student booths which feature tan pleather fabric with urban graphics attesting to the famous Melbourne laneways.


Project Innovation/Need

To reflect Melbourne’s excellent experiences, from café culture to the gritty laneways and the rich color palette of the wide-open spaces, our outcome at Hawthorn Melbourne greatly reflects the essence of studying in Victoria. CIA selected curved seating to exhibit Victorian coastlines and curated the coastal finishes color palette inspired by the distinct landscape of the Great Ocean Road, a popular destination for international students. The breakout space provides an inspiring environment where students can make weekend plans to explore our varied state at the same time as enjoying the edgy, urban vibe of Melbourne.
The overall design driver for the space was to make the students feel their campus was an extension of all that Melbourne has to offer.

Design Challenge

CIA was engaged in 2018 to find and test spaces for a new campus in Victoria through student and staff workshops. Following COVID disruption and a requirement to revisit needs, the final campus was decided on in 2021. As with every project, CIA first utilized a fluid form of engagement with the client in the form of hand sketching. Integral to the design is the dual arrival from both the central lift wells and the new stair connecting the ground floor. This waiting and greeting area is anchored by a focal oval seating booth with integrated greenery and a parallel oval feature pendant light, providing a successful solution to a challenging entry and floor plate.

Sustainability

Our approach to sustainable design lies heavily with our choice of furniture supplier, HOW group. The company is established as a benchmark for commercial fit-outs and furniture provision in terms of high-quality, sustainable pieces. Most furniture we specified was manufactured in Australia, using ethically sourced raw materials and Australian design, keeping the design local with a reduced carbon footprint. HOW group has current FSC certification for ethical sourcing of solid wood and steel fabrications. Only ISO-compliant factories are used to manufacture the products selected for Hawthorn Melbourne.


Interior Design - Education

This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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