Image Credit : Trevor Mein & Built.
Project Overview
Deakin University Waurn Ponds Campus’s commitment to a facility refresh program was the catalyst for the creation of Nyaal - a world class interactive learning space. The aim of the facilities refreshment was to re-engage the Arts and Education faculty and students, providing them with a new and exciting hub for learning. k20 Architecture, in partnership with Deakin University, transformed an out-of-date building into a precinct that embodies progressive learning and awe-inspiring immersive technology, enabling students to be curious, creative learners.
Located in a natural setting overlooking a tree lined lake, Nyaal relates to its surroundings through a tactile material palette and organic building arrangement. Consisting of two north facing cylindrical forms, the seamless extension complements the existing sandy masonry building with shades of grey and taupe textured façade panels. These wrap around the exterior, inviting users to interact with the tactile striation as they make their way to the entrance.
Internally Nyaal comprises of a light filled break out space, a double cylindrical extension housing a 360-degree projection space for specialist teaching, a think tank, digital editing suite, and communal rooftop garden. These key spaces allow Deakin to cater to many different pedagogical approaches due to its multipurpose nature.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Project Architect: India Mitchell
Builder: Built
Subconsultants:
Access consultants: Equal Access Group
Acoustic Engineer: Acoustic Control
Structural Engineer: Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec
Audio Visual Specialist: Igloo Vision
Services Engineer: JBA Consulting Engineers
Building Surveyor: BSA Building Surveyors
Project Brief
Positioned within a natural setting overlooking a tree lined lake, Nyaal - a world-class interactive learning precinct, steps back into the nature-laden landscape of Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus. Proposing a facilities refreshment program in 2019, the University sought to re-engage the Arts and Education faculty and students and provide them with a ‘home’.Utilising the existing building’s strengths, we created a light-filled break out space, a double cylindrical extension housing the 360-degree projection space for specialist teaching, a Think Tank, a digital editing suite and communal rooftop garden. Recognising the symbiosis between technology, education and the impact digital tools can have on transforming pedagogy, the Faculty of Arts and Education developed a new teaching methodology called ‘iSee’ consisting of three core phases: ‘I feel’ ‘I think’ ‘I act’. Nyaal meaning to ‘open your eyes’ in the language of the Wadawurrung people, traditional owners of Djilang (Geelong), is designed to balance a program of formal and informal learning spaces and is aligned to that support the three core phases. The 360-degree projection space immerses users in an experience they see and feel through a sensory journey using light, colour, motion and acoustics. In the Think Tank, students take their shared experiences into the ‘I think’ phase through discussions in a round table environment, and finally transition to the ‘I act’ phase, where students plan their next course.These remarkable spaces are flexible and cater to various uses and diverse pedagogical approaches, made possible by their interactive and multipurpose nature.
Project Innovation/Need
Nyaal has transformed an outdated building into a precinct that embodies progressive education through awe-inspiring immersive technology, enabling students to be curious, collaborative learners. Connected to Deakins philosophy of hands-on applied learning, Nyaals’ interactive technology is particularly powerful for students who have difficulty grasping critical concepts through traditional teaching methods.
We explored how the act of sharing stories around a campfire could be conveyed in a tertiary environment, forming the basis of our design story ‘The Digital Campfire’. Nyaal’s carefully crafted, versatile teaching spaces encourage cross interactions and are elevated by technology, giving students the ability to seamlessly shift between immersive and focused environments.Distinctive in nature the 360-degree virtual reality cylinder delivers enriching, impactful curriculum. A 9.7 metre curved screen spans the interior, facilitating an immersive 360-degree sensory Here, teachers can captivate students, allowing them the opportunity to discover through previously unexplored and exciting methods.
The adjacent Think Tank functions as a flexible multipurpose classroom for collaborative teaching. The unconventional circular setting of a round table environment encourages students to discuss shared experiences, fostering transdisciplinary connections. This world-class technology is used across multiple faculties and is key to Deakin’s strategy to transition towards a blended learning model. These additions to the on-campus experience have provided an opportunity to re-engage students and increase Deakins brand value across courses where enrolments had previously been declining. Nyaal encourages students to experience moments together and exhibits how technology in a built space can challenge the boundaries of learning in a digital world.
Design Challenge
The principles underpinning the design of Nyaal stemmed from the client’s vision and evolved through a highly collaborative approach involving the client, key stakeholders, and the expertise of our design team.
During concept design, we identified that the original brief would involve high risk construction to the existing building. Our challenge was now to deliver an ambitious and striking project in a new way through an adaptive design response that took this risk into consideration, whilst ensuring that all previous requirements of the brief were met or exceeded. Designed to achieve a balance between cost and a valued architectural outcome, we repositioned the projection space and Think Tank to be an extension of the existing building, opening the internal breakout space, an aspect previously absent from the brief. This outcome provided higher value, as an opportunity now existed to link the space between the Think Tank and projection space. This has been an essential component to the success of the project. Over the course of the project, we fostered a ‘one team’ culture, allowing the utilisation of in-house capabilities from a diverse team in conjunction with the expertise of hand-selected specialist consultants. We were fortunate to work with such knowledgeable subconsultants, learning and gaining insight from their expertise to reach the desired outcome.Incorporating Nyaal’s signature cylindrical shape within an existing 1970’s building was a challenge, and our teams’ accomplishments have been praised by the Faculty of Arts and Education in providing a distinct and fresh user experience through design.
Sustainability
Excellence in sustainability is deeply embedded in our systems and processes and is the DNA of our Architecture. Our approach to sustainability for this project was focused on passive design principles and environmentally conscious design that is ingrained into the fabric of the architecture. We worked closely with Deakin University to incorporate and leverage the strengths of already established areas to create something unique. The brief was reworked to maintain as much of the existing building fabric as possible, an inherently sustainable design response as less materials were required for construction and waste was minimised.
Local, low VOC, recyclable, and recycled materials were used in every instance possible. Products with a circular economy such as the insulation, aluminium, steel and carpet were also adopted where appropriate. The rooftop garden serves to minimise the heat island effect and reduce impervious surfaces, contributing to the wellbeing of the University’s natural ecology. Additionally, passive design principles adopted for this project included shading through canopies and external planting of established trees. These solutions allow for passive cooling which reduces the load on the building’s HVAC system to mitigate emissions.
All external landscaping is indigenous to the region and internal planting was also used to improve indoor air quality. The thermal insulation present in the building also surpasses regulatory requirements and doors and windows are fully double glazed, further assisting in reducing emissions and lowering costs of operation. Optimum acoustics were also designed for internal spaces.
Architecture - Public and Institutional
This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.
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