Melbourne School of Design Tour

Today the Sustainability Inquiry Group had their excursion to the University of Melbourne to visit the School of Design. Our tour guide, Annie, generously walked our group to see different areas of the building, and talked to us about the different sustainable features that have been included in it’s design and construction. We started out by meeting Annie on the North Lawn (where we ate our lunch after arriving by tram), and she took us into the building to first look at a screen in the foyer which monitors the energy use of different parts of the building, as well as water harvesting data. We had a peek in the bathroom on this level to find out about how rainwater is used to flush all toilets throughout the building.

After walking through the foyer and ground level of the building, we learnt about where and how the harvested rainwater was stored, as well as why zinc was chosen as the material for the external cladding that surrounds three sides of the building, and how these panels helped to shade the external glazing. The students were challenged to estimate how many panels were used across the entire facade of the building, as well as how many tiny holes were in each of the zinc panels.

The area around the building has been landscaped in a way that helps save water, with native plants selected because of the low levels of water that they require.

Next, we went back inside by way of the large external staircase and seating, to arrive into the ground floor of the learning space area. Here, we found out about some of the different materials that had been used and why they had been selected, and were shown perhaps the most enormous opening window many have ever seen – the window spans across the width of about 20 metres, and can be opened to allow air into the building as a way to passively cool the building as needed.

A highlight for many was walking across a glass panel in the floor of this level, which let light into the foyer area below.

Many people were in the building when we visited, busy studying and working in the different spaces. We saw models on display that had been designed and made by students, and large robotic machines that could be programmed to cut materials precisely and delicately.

Next, we took the lift up to the fourth floor, giving us the opportunity to observe the suspended studio room that hangs down into the atrium space, and the design of the roof that lets natural light into all levels of the building.

Annie then took us into the historic Japanese Room, which was part of the original building and designed in 1963. As a way of ‘re-using’, all parts of it had been kept, restored, and reconstructed in the new building. From here, were able to look out to the rooftop terraces.

Finally, we made our way back down the central Y-shaped staircase, pausing on levels to find out more about the exposed wires and pipes that you can see in the ceilings, and learning how this helped to make the building a living, learning educative experience. We also noted how pin up boards covered almost all of the internal walls of the hallways around the atrium, which allowed for the surfaces to be used for students to pin up and share their work.

The tour concluded with students sharing their estimates from the initial challenge, with a few lucky students receiving prizes from Annie for their correct guesses. We caught the tram back to school in time for recess, all tired but happy. It was an amazing experience and the Sustainability Inquiry Group is excited and looking forward to sharing their reflections about what they have learned with the rest of the neighbourhood next week!