ANU Student Accommodation Civic, ACT

role Architecture value $2 million completed date n/a

The organisers of this competition invited peckvonhartel to submit a design for a 1000 Bed Student Housing development located in Civic, Canberra. The brief was to extend the existing Student Housing facilities to offer a fresh design solution that could be incorporated into future development stages. Key factors of the design challenge related to operational, structural and aesthetic requirements.

The building proposed by pvh is a six level structure with an extra level for car parking. The ground level is predominantly entry, pastoral care, service and retail spaces, with the upper levels for student accommodation. The positioning of the studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments is random both in plan and section rendering a form that is honeycombed yet articulated by a cellular façade. The upper level housing floats above a predominantly glazed ground floor.

Many ESD measures were incorporated into the design to ensure the highest energy rating possible including a roof slab topped with soil and plant growth; controlled natural ventilation and sunlight penetration to each apartment through voids; on-site water retention; harnessing and usage of grey water and much more.