One of Australia’s most innovative architects Peter Stutchbury has won a national competition to design a $10 million development on Charles Sturt University’s Albury-Wodonga Campus.

 

Peter Stutchbury, a multi award winning architect who is hailed a leader of the new generation of architects in Australia, and his team from Stutchbury & Pape designed the winning entry for Charles Sturt University’s Learning Commons development. The Learning Commons is a purpose built design that incorporates library, computer services and student learning services in one space to support student learning.

 

Stutchbury is well known for his appreciation of place and the need for sustainability has created an exciting design for the Learning Commons building. The building will highlight a huge feature wall, incorporating rust coloured steel and glass and measuring 70 metre by 15 metre, creating a lasting impression of the University.

 

 

“We want to develop a ‘signature’ building, a place of significance for Charles Sturt University (CSU), while remaining within the campus’ existing philosophy on sustainable and ecologically sensitive development on the site,” Stutchbury said.

 

Peter Stutchbury was the first architect to win both the National Architecture awards from the Royal Institute of Architects for residential and non residential projects, gaining both the Robin Boyd Award for houses and the Sir Zelman Cowan Award for public buildings in 2003. His work is known for its diversity from residences to the Life Sciences Building at NSW’s Newcastle University and an innovative agricultural facility near Wagga Wagga in southern NSW.

 

Head of the CSU’s Albury-Wodonga Campus Professor Gail Whiteford said the project offers Stutchbury a landscape for which he has a strong affinity.

 

“Peter spent much time while growing up on his family’s property outside of Cobar in western NSW. He has an understanding and appreciation of the light and space that is such a strong feature in our landscape. We are delighted to be working with him and his winning design.”

 

Charles Sturt University plans to incorporate the Learning Commons concept across the whole University with plans to convert existing libraries on Dubbo and Bathurst campuses to Learning Commons by the end of 2006.

 

“It’s invigorating to see this type of best practice with the learning commons project. At CSU we are committed to developing and enhancing student-centred learning, both on-campus and in distance education. This is central to our lead position in flexible learning in Australia,” said the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter.

 

“By using modern information technologies and learning strategies such as wireless laptop computers and collaborative learning spaces, the Learning Commons concept will provide a physical and virtual manifestation to cater for the needs of on-campus and off-campus students.