About Deakin Law Building

The objective of this project was to provide new accommodation in the Elgar Road precinct of the Melbourne Burwood Campus consisting of:

• a combination of formal and informal learning spaces
• staff offices
• student and staff facing amenity
• car parking

Through extensive stakeholder engagement and collaboration, the Deakin Law School Building (LC) was designed, developed and delivered and provides an optimal mix of exemplary spaces, providing a cornerstone in the transition of the Burwood campus to a flexible, agile and innovative environment.

Features

Building LC focuses on the student experience, recognising that learning can happen at any time. It provides a hub for meeting, learning, networking, social gathering, student wellbeing and student services that caters to the needs of next generational learners beyond the classroom.

This part of the Burwood campus features:

• Five levels of active collaborative learning spaces.
• Two levels of student services and support including a health/wellbeing centre (including consultation rooms, counselling services and allied health), new DeakinACTIVE Fitness Centre,
• Four levels of premiere teaching spaces including the Banks with 12m glass panels overlooking the Wellness Garden.
• One level of contemporary workspace for Deakin Law School staff.
• Wellness garden and winter garden - The Wellness Garden uses only Australian native plants, timbers and stones and has large open areas to connect, study and collaborate as well as quiet and relaxing zones. The Wellness Garden is watered via an underground greywater tank from Building LC. It is the product of a collaborative design process involving staff and students. The Winter Garden is located on Level 5 and features a vertical plant wall and integrated garden seating.

Through the design of the building, and its innovative integration with the campus, it is positioned to further Deakin University in its path towards facilitating a flexible, agile and innovative environment. The innovative design features increase the connectivity of the campus and contribute to the vision of the University.

The design and construction of the building demonstrated alignment with all of Deakin’s values, although it’s contribution to excellence and sustainability are particularly evident. During construction, 97% of waste was diverted from landfill to recycling facilities. The design also incorporated a 95kW solar panel system, which contributes 10% of the building’s electricity requirements, and reduces the greenhouse emissions by 20%. A siphonic drainage system has also been incorporated on the roof, which stores rainfall in a 600,000L tank which is used in the building and surrounding landscape irrigation.

State of the art lighting and air conditioning controls also serve to reduce the resource consumption of the building. Through these measures, the building contributes to Deakin’s strategic plan and 2025 carbon neutral vision as an example of impactful innovation.

The building promotes Deakin’s vision of facilitating an agile, flexible and innovative space for its users. The building achieves these contributions through its alignment with Deakin’s values and impactful innovation in design, engagement and coordination.