Wellbeing, social and safety benefits in a courtyard at Deakin University

Encourage student and university activation of the space through clear circulation, seamless indoor-outdoor flow, and the creation of strong visual permeability to and across Gardiners Creek.

The courtyard design delivered a series of inviting spaces, divided by pockets of vegetation, offering students, academics and visitors a choice of lush, landscaped ‘outdoor rooms.’ 

Our team leveraged the campus’s excellent proximity to the nearby Gardiner Reserve through the arrangement of banks of seating and workstations overlooking the creek, shaded by an existing pedestrian bridge.

We custom designed areas of seating with embedded data and electrical points to encourage and enable students to ‘plug-in’ and linger. The wi-fi enabled space also features a large lawn area surrounded by bespoke seating elements which double as retaining structures.  

The project adds value to the campus assets providing flexible and inspiring spaces that can be used for recreation, indoor-outdoor learning, events and a café hub. Further improvements to the student experience along with wellbeing benefits include enhanced connectivity between the campus’s built form and nature, upgraded safety and wayfinding and access to a diverse choice of verdant spaces for socialising, quiet contemplation, individual study, or group collaboration.