Case Studies
ANU Acton Campus Master Plan
Design Feature
Type of project
Masterplan
State
Australian Capital Territory
Location
Urban
The Australian National University (ANU) is consistently ranked as one of Australia’s two leading universities, and among the world’s best. ANU has a clear vision for its future:
“ANU will sit among the great universities of the world, defined by a culture of excellence in all its endeavours.”
The University has already achieved global standing for its academic and research achievements; it is now seeking to create an environment on its Acton Campus that is of equally outstanding quality.
“ANU will sit among the great universities of the world, defined by a culture of excellence in all its endeavours.”
The University has already achieved global standing for its academic and research achievements; it is now seeking to create an environment on its Acton Campus that is of equally outstanding quality.
A transformative new structure of spaces and activities
The campus has a striking landscape setting and is home to a collection of significant buildings and spaces. However, the lack of coherent planning over decades has resulted in a campus environment that is often experienced as dispersed and disconnected and not consistent with the University’s future vision.
The ANU Acton Campus Master Plan (2019) sets out a blueprint to boldly and holistically restructure the public spaces and activities of Acton Campus, building on existing strengths to create a more vibrant and coherent campus environment.
The ANU Acton Campus Master Plan (2019) sets out a blueprint to boldly and holistically restructure the public spaces and activities of Acton Campus, building on existing strengths to create a more vibrant and coherent campus environment.
The ANU Acton Campus Master Plan (Master Plan) provides a transformative new structure of spaces and activities for the Acton campus, achieving strategic renewal around a network of new hubs linked by tree-lined landscaped promenades. The Master Plan responds to the University’s vision and the unique place attributes of the campus and its setting.
Reflecting a need for holistic renewal, the campus Master Plan has identified three transformational objectives:
To achieve these objectives, the following seven design principles have been developed that structure the Master Plan.
Reflecting a need for holistic renewal, the campus Master Plan has identified three transformational objectives:
- A coherent campus
- A connected campus
- An unrivalled campus environment
To achieve these objectives, the following seven design principles have been developed that structure the Master Plan.
- Principle 1: Clearly defined hubs
- Principle 2: Landscaped promenade links
- Principle 3: Vehicle-restricted heart
- Principle 4: Strong city connections
- Principle 5: Harmonious ANU – distinctive design
- Principle 6: Vibrant living and working environment
- Principle 7: Environmental sustainability
The strategy of hubs and promenades was developed as a geometric scheme relating to Griffin’s layout for Civic (Canberra’s Central Business District), which provided a powerful ordering structure for the Master Plan. The amplification of Canberra's most celebrated parts provides an intuitive and accessible layout for all stakeholders to experience.
The team used a range of engagement tools and techniques to develop the Master Plan; the most effective tool being presence, enabling the team to develop a deep understanding of the University’s issues. Eighteen months of continuous and iterative internal and external stakeholder engagement comprised:
The team used a range of engagement tools and techniques to develop the Master Plan; the most effective tool being presence, enabling the team to develop a deep understanding of the University’s issues. Eighteen months of continuous and iterative internal and external stakeholder engagement comprised:
- A drop-in project centre, open three days a week
- A series of ‘deliberative workshops’, bringing together a wide cross-section of ANU academic staff and external stakeholders
- Meetings and briefings with ANU staff, students and key external Canberra and statutory stakeholders
- Three panel discussion events entitled ‘The Master Plan Series’, which sought to access and apply ANU research and test its relevance to the campus
- Engagement with University leaders through a three-tiered governance framework
- Online engagement through a digital ‘Collaborative Map’ where participants could post ideas and opinions about the campus experience
- Detailed engagement with the Chancellor and Campus Planning Committee.
Consistent themes emerged as priorities from the stakeholder engagement, and aligned with ideas articulated in the ANU Strategic Plan, confirming the connection between the Strategic Plan and the ambitions of the ANU. Initial ‘big ideas’, focused on the ordering of public spaces and the configuration of new shared uses to bring clarity and order to those spaces. Design work then progressed to shape campus experiences and places in line with the University’s future ambitions.
The Master Plan includes an Implementation Plan and Design Guide formulated in collaboration with the University’s Department of Facilities Management (DFM) and University leadership. The Implementation Plan reflects the key priorities for strategic renewal attuned to the University’s capacity to deliver, including:
The Design Guide will become part of every project briefing to architects and landscape architects, enhanced by the fact that DFM staff contributed to its formulation. The governance framework for the Master Plan and associated documents will ensure that immediate and long-term projects undertaken comply with, and remain in line with, the Implementation Plan.
At the launch of the Master Plan, Professor Gareth Evans, Chancellor said:
“Its implementation will fundamentally transform the look and feel of the campus, taking much more advantage of the magnificent natural bushland setting, better recognising our Indigenous heritage, more successfully integrating architecture and landscape than we have in the past, making the campus much more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, and building around it more centres of communal vitality, like Kambri.”
The Master Plan includes an Implementation Plan and Design Guide formulated in collaboration with the University’s Department of Facilities Management (DFM) and University leadership. The Implementation Plan reflects the key priorities for strategic renewal attuned to the University’s capacity to deliver, including:
- Investment in hubs and promenades in and around the heart of the campus, including ‘pipeline’ projects currently underway, opportunities for research collaborations and partnerships
- Investment in changes to roads and parking
- Developing partnerships with stakeholders and neighbours, including Canberra city authorities, CSIRO, and the Australian National Botanic Gardens, to enhance streetscapes and the campus perimeter environs
- Consolidation of the overall estate footprint through evaluation and assessment of available property and land that falls in and around the campus perimeter.
The Design Guide will become part of every project briefing to architects and landscape architects, enhanced by the fact that DFM staff contributed to its formulation. The governance framework for the Master Plan and associated documents will ensure that immediate and long-term projects undertaken comply with, and remain in line with, the Implementation Plan.
At the launch of the Master Plan, Professor Gareth Evans, Chancellor said:
“Its implementation will fundamentally transform the look and feel of the campus, taking much more advantage of the magnificent natural bushland setting, better recognising our Indigenous heritage, more successfully integrating architecture and landscape than we have in the past, making the campus much more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, and building around it more centres of communal vitality, like Kambri.”
Project team
- Ms Caroline Stalker, Ms Penny Hall, Mr Greg Crouch; Mr Haico Schepers, Ms Alexandra Brown and Ms Caryl Queja (Lead Consultants, Arup)
- Ms Cathryn Chatburn (sub-consultant, Urban Enquiry)
- Mr Peter Lovell and Ms Kate Gray (sub-consultants, LovellChen)
- John Wardle Architects
- Mantra Studios
- Karen Wright Projects
- Mr Arthur Petsas (ANU Project Manager, Inceptio Group)
Project Cost
Unavailable
Health value
- The campus will have a pedestrian and bicycle-oriented green heart where access by private vehicles is restricted. A perimeter loop road is provided as a vehicle access route for a new campus shuttle bus (with the future opportunity for an electric vehicle). This is overlaid with a cross-campus active transport network of well-defined routes and facilities that link directly to the wider city network.
- The clear and connected network of nine tree-lined, landscaped promenades will establish a network of shady, sheltered pathways that offer a comfortable environment to encourage safe and easy cycling and walking through the day and night. The promenades will be the busiest pedestrian routes on campus, in contrast to the bush backdrop, which will provide spaces for quieter, more reflective uses and recreation.
Economic value
- The plan creates city connections through external facing catalytic redevelopment projects; new community spaces; pedestrian, transport and cycling links (including pedestrian/cycle bridges); and enhanced streetscapes in response to the University’s need to create strong partnerships with adjacent institutions (CSIRO, National Museum of Australia, Australian National Botanical Gardens) as potential corporate partners into research in Civic and stronger links with the wider Canberra community.
Environmental Value
- Sustainability strategies particularly focus on water sensitive urban design in new landscapes; environmental rehabilitation of Sullivan’s Creek, minimising and monitoring energy use in new and existing buildings, and the development of a system of district energy plants associated with the development of the hubs, documented in a concurrently developed Energy Management Strategy.
Social value
- Located at the crossroads of the promenades and in-between College ‘territories’, five new hubs will break down specialty silos and encourage interdisciplinary integration. They also provide a coherent structure for all of the much needed ‘shared’ activities of the campus. Each hub will create an inviting vibrant environment, brought to life by overlapping activities combining campus community facilities (cafes, libraries, childcare), accommodation, learning and research. New accommodation and interactive workspaces will frame and line the hubs and promenades, improving safety and interactivity.
Use value
The promenades facilitate healthy, active behaviours through enhanced options for walking and cycling across campus and between wider city connections, where catalytic redevelopment projects, new community spaces and active transport links complement the existing university education and residential uses. The hubs will be home to curated exhibition spaces for ANU collections, small-scale events and flexible teaching/learning, while new park links will engage with Lake Burley Griffin, providing opportunities for community events connected to the West Basin foreshore
References
- ANU Acton Campus Master Plan
- ANU Acton Campus Master Plan - Arup
- Client Nikki Middleton, Facilities and Services Division, ANU
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