Project Overview
Established in 1967, La Trobe University is a public research university with campuses across Victoria and New South Wales. The university has grown to accommodate over 36,000 students, with the Melbourne (Bundoora) campus being home to some of Melbourne’s most distinguished art works and sculpture park.
This project added two new 6-storey accommodation buildings at the Bundoora campus offering 624 new beds, including single, four, five and six bed apartments, with landscaping that joins the two buildings together. There are also common areas with shared amenities for residents to meet and socialise, enhancing student living and integrating sustainable construction practices.
In achieving a 5 Star Green Star Design and As Built rating, the project won the Residential Architecture — Multiple Housing category of the Victorian Chapter of the Institute of Architects Awards in June 2021, and the Multi-Residential Award in the Excellence in Timber Applications category at the 21st Australian Timber Design Awards in late 2020.
Technical Solutions
Partnering with La Trobe University, WGA provided structural and civil engineering design services for the student accommodation project. Although cross-laminated timber construction has been used in Europe for some time, it was only first introduced in Australia six years before this project began.
WGA played a major role in pioneering the use of this method in large-scale tertiary education developments. The team was responsible for the tender design of the structure and conducted a peer review of the contractor’s design, traffic engineering, and continued civil engineering services throughout the project lifecycle.
It now sits as the largest mass timber building in Victoria, utilising 4,640 cubic meters of cross laminated and glued laminated timber.
Client Focus
This project is part of La Trobe’s ambitious plan to transform its Melbourne (Bundoora) campus into a thriving city that brings together living, learning and working in a sustainable environment designed for future growth.
WGA’s expertise and ability to innovate ensures that the university can continue to deliver their vision for La Trobe University City and provide high quality and fit for purpose accommodation facilities for a range of diverse students living on campus.
Key Personnel
The La Trobe University Bundoora Campus is included in the following sectors & services.
Click on one to find out more about that sector or service.