Image Credit : Eve Wilson
Project Overview
This sector-disruptive project redefines what tutoring spaces can be. In partnership with Matrix Education, we brought to life a bold, design-led vision for their first Melbourne campus, one that challenges convention and sets a new standard for the future of learning.
Confident, contemporary, and highly resolved, the design reflects Matrix’s reputation for academic excellence while creating an environment that is both purposeful and aspirational. From the moment you arrive, every detail contributes to a cohesive brand experience that is as memorable as it is meaningful.
Setting a new benchmark for private education interiors, this campus is more than just a place to learn, it’s a space designed to inspire.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Merit Design Team
Merit Delivery Team
Project Brief
We approached this project with Matrix Education’s bold ambition front of mind: to disrupt the traditional tutoring model and craft a flagship campus that feels more like a boutique institution than a standard student space. This was a brief grounded in transformation, elevating the learning experience through design that is both highly functional and unapologetically aspirational.
The challenge was to create an environment that could flex seamlessly between modes of use: lecture-style teaching, private consultations, independent study, student downtime, and staff operations, all while delivering a cohesive visual language and premium brand experience. Every space had to perform, feel intentional, and reflect Matrix’s academic edge.
Our design for the new Melbourne campus captures the energy of the next generation of learners. The interior speaks with clarity and confidence, expressing Matrix’s forward-thinking identity through bold colour, refined detailing, and a composed sense of dynamism. Every piece of furniture and fixture was carefully selected, not only for function, but for the impression it leaves.
This project is about redefining what an educational environment can be. Not just functional, but inspirational. Not just a place to learn, but a place to feel connected, empowered, and proud.
This campus sets a new benchmark for private education, resonating with students, supporting staff, and positioning Matrix as a leader in contemporary learning design. A confident blueprint for the future.
Project Innovation/Need
Set within a compact footprint, this signature campus challenges the conventions of private education through a bold and refined spatial strategy. Every element is purposefully designed to elevate the student experience, academically, socially, and creatively. Modular classrooms, fluid collaboration zones, and a state-of-the-art podcasting and recording studio form the backbone of a high-performing environment that flexes with the demands of a dynamic curriculum. These layered, future-focused spaces champion creativity, foster wellbeing, and promote deeper student engagement.
Brand expression is integrated with subtlety and precision. Signature Matrix elements, such as the triple lines, are layered with raw textures, warm accents, and refined detailing. Custom ceiling lighting echoes the brand identity, creating immersive spatial cues that foster focus, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging.
Every decision, from the colour palette to bespoke joinery, was guided by a desire to create a learning environment that inspires. High-performance technology, operable walls, and natural light enhance comfort and adaptability, while private breakout zones provide much-needed balance for both students and staff.
This is a flagship space; a confident, future-focused environment that redefines the tutoring model and positions Matrix Education at the forefront of innovation. Through purposeful, human-centred design, we’ve created a space that feels as aspirational as the students it serves.
Design Challenge
Matrix Education’s inaugural Victorian campus in Box Hill posed a complex design challenge: to create a human-centred, adaptable learning environment that authentically reflects the brand’s academic excellence while responding to local context and user needs. Working within a tight timeframe and navigating structural and accessibility constraints, we delivered a refined and aspirational space without compromising function or impact.
A core challenge was translating Matrix’s strong, bold brand identity into a physical space that felt aspirational and welcoming, not corporate or sterile. Our design needed to balance a premium, cohesive visual language with warmth and approachability, avoiding typical institutional tropes. Every area had to be purposeful, intentional, and reflective of Matrix’s reputation for excellence.
Functionally, the campus had to flex seamlessly between diverse modes of use: lecture-style teaching, one-on-one mentoring, independent study, social connection, and staff operations. This multi-functional brief demanded careful spatial planning to accommodate both high-traffic zones like reception and lecture theatres alongside intimate, quiet spaces for focused learning and respite.
Balancing efficiency with experience, we layered subtle brand expression, custom joinery, and immersive lighting to unify form and function. Every detail, from sightlines to flow, was considered to support a seamless user journey.
The result is a confident, future-ready campus that redefines what a tutoring space can be and sets a new benchmark for educational design.
Sustainability
Sustainability was embedded into the design and delivery of Matrix Education through a layered, considered approach that balanced environmental responsibility with long-term operational performance and student wellbeing.
Material selection was central. We specified low-VOC paints, E0 joinery substrates, and sustainably sourced timber to reduce environmental impact and improve indoor air quality, critical for maintaining focus and supporting student health. High-performance LED lighting was used throughout, calibrated for comfort and energy efficiency, with daylight access maximised in key areas to reduce artificial lighting dependency and enhance cognitive performance.
We retained and adapted key base building systems, ceilings and flooring where possible, minimising demolition and reducing landfill. This not only lowered embodied carbon but also shortened construction timelines, reducing disruption and extending the lifecycle of existing materials. Durable, hard-wearing finishes were selected for longevity, aligning with principles of economic and environmental sustainability.
Locally sourced materials and Australian manufacturers were prioritised to support regional supply chains and reduce transport emissions. Acoustic panelling, for instance, was sourced from a supplier using recycled content, delivering both performance and environmental benefit.
The spatial layout itself supports sustainability, strategically designed to promote flow, comfort, and clarity while reducing reliance on mechanical systems. By aligning environmental and educational performance, Matrix Education’s new campus is a confident, future-focused space that supports both people and planet.
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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