UTAS University Inveresk Campus
The University of Tasmania has invested in a major regeneration of its Inveresk Campus in Launceston. The purpose being to fully consolidate its Launceston campuses into one central one, which was a disused railway workshop, to increase the quality of experience for its student and staff but to connect with the broader Launceston community.
ASPECT Studios working with Wardell Architects developed the Urban Design Framework in 2019. This foregrounded Traditional Owners and Caring for Country principles, as well as the need to provide new institutional facilities, and connecting pathways and green spaces between the city centre and the university. and the adaptive reuse of existing structures on what was once Tasmania’s largest industrial site.
UTAS formed a Tasmanian Aboriginal Reference Group to guide and embed First Peoples’ interests into the University’s overall transformation project. The outcome of several workshops resulted in the framework document ‘’Embedding Knowledges of Country at Inveresk (April to November 2019)’’.
ASPECT Studios undertook a leading role in the development of the overall Acknowledgement of Country across the campus, the integration of education and landscape, the connectivity for pedestrians in particular across the entire, sustainable regenerative processes across the site, connection the river landscape, and the core program and driving concepts for the public spaces and key spine.
UTAS formed a Tasmanian Aboriginal Reference Group to guide and embed First Peoples’ interests into the University’s overall transformation project. The outcome of several workshops resulted in the framework document ‘’Embedding Knowledges of Country at Inveresk (April to November 2019)’’.
ASPECT Studios undertook a leading role in the development of the overall Acknowledgement of Country across the campus, the integration of education and landscape, the connectivity for pedestrians in particular across the entire, sustainable regenerative processes across the site, connection the river landscape, and the core program and driving concepts for the public spaces and key spine.
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- TRADITIONAL OWNERS & ONGOING CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND Palawa / Muwinina
- ClIENT University of Tasmania
- LOCATION Inveresk, Tasmania
- YEAR 2019
The Shed
The Shed is the new home for health, medicine and science education and research for the University of Tasmania. The precinct forms a new interface between the city of Launceston and the Inveresk University Precinct.
The integrated building and landscape become a significant navigational place for the public and university community – welcoming people to and through the precinct.
The public realm has drawn its forms from the preexisting 19th century railway buildings and tracks, the “garden” connection to the southern City Park and the northern North Esk River. City – Garden – Railway – River.
At Willis street there is a public meeting place and forecourt, celebrating the industrial heritage through large timber decks and the careful acknowledgment of “Country” through the Riawunna Guardian stones.
The public realm has drawn its forms from the preexisting 19th century railway buildings and tracks, the “garden” connection to the southern City Park and the northern North Esk River. City – Garden – Railway – River.
At Willis street there is a public meeting place and forecourt, celebrating the industrial heritage through large timber decks and the careful acknowledgment of “Country” through the Riawunna Guardian stones.
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The landscape then moves up series of pleated like landscape terraces and ramps which support the bridge over the river. The terraces as well as the entire landscape is of local and indigenous plants, furthering the biodiversity health of the town and campus.
Sport is an integral part of the building’s educational program, and a running track extends from the interior to the exterior at the front, continuing beneath the bridge to create an additional space for exercise.
The landscape has future proofed the linkages to the proposed eastern residential precinct.
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Library
This precinct includes the new campus Library, the Rivers Edge building and their connective landscape and the Riawunna Cultural Garden.
Acting as the front door to the campus, it is integral to welcoming the broader community to the precinct and sets the tone and character for the broader precinct.
The landscape surrounding the Library was about reestablishing palpable connections to the natural and Indigenous cultural landscape of the region, within the strong industrial character of the university. This was developed in consultation with the First Nations community.
The landscape surrounding the Library was about reestablishing palpable connections to the natural and Indigenous cultural landscape of the region, within the strong industrial character of the university. This was developed in consultation with the First Nations community.
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Native grasses, materials and stone were used to ground the building in “country”.
The Riverside Edge precinct, is the home of the important Riawunna Center for Education, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. The landscape celebrates the diversity of flora form around Tasmania, and makes the key geological and landscape units of the island in the pavement.
The Riverside Edge precinct, is the home of the important Riawunna Center for Education, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. The landscape celebrates the diversity of flora form around Tasmania, and makes the key geological and landscape units of the island in the pavement.
Riawunna Cultural Garden
The Riawunna Cultural Garden was an extension of the scope for ASPECT Studios, adding to the landscape areas surrounding the Rivers Edge precinct buildings at the UTAS Inveresk campus.
The design identified several opportunities for involvement by the Riawunna team and local Aboriginal artists to embed cultural identity to the project, including the ritual of relocating ashes from the existing smoke pit on campus and the inclusion of new nation stones within the garden.
Key portions of the project were set aside to be designed in partnership with local indigenous artists, which included custom shelter, seating, privacy panels the firepit and surrounds. Undertaking a design process that has been in close and constant collaboration with two Palawa artists from Launceston has ensured that the outcome is sensitive and responsive to the local conditions and culture, as well as providing benefits for community.
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SCOPE
Urban Design Framework
Consultation -
TEAM
Wardle Architects
JWA
T3D Studios
Lynne Spotswood
Genie Battese
