It’s been more than a month since the new 1 Central Courtyard (1CC) building’s teaching spaces were opened to students. With 26 formal teaching rooms (including two ‘makerspaces’) in assorted sizes and configurations, complemented by numerous breakout study areas, the facilities are proving to be a hit with staff and students alike. We spoke to some of the lecturers using the spaces to find out what they like best about them.

Anne McMaugh
Senior Lecturer, Educational Studies
“I use small group work in my teaching, and the small groupings of desks facilitate easy student engagement with one another. This also seems to reduce noise as conversations are directed toward each other, which is better for students with hearing impairments and also for those who might be less confident speaking in large classrooms.

“I feel like teacher-student relationship quality is enhanced because I can walk down the wide centre of the room and engage with every student group and sit down with a group if I want to have a closer conversation. Students also appear to develop positive and engaged working relationships with peers in these spaces.”

Michael Volkov
Associate Professor, Marketing
“The new active learning spaces are colourful and inviting. Just their ‘look’ is almost like an invitation to engage with the others in the space. These spaces suit my teaching style as I base my teaching around collaborative activity- and team-based learning.

“The variety of room designs and mobility of layouts means that depending on structure and purpose of the teaching and learning, a great space can be created. There are also wonderful breakout areas outside the actual teaching spaces that benefit students. These multi-format new spaces will further challenge us to review the way we teach to improve the learning experience and success of our students.”

Sunny Shin
Lecturer, Economics
“I teach in a 60-person project room. It’s perfect for team-based learning activities, which the unit I teach is all about. What I like best about the room is that there is not really a default location for the instructor in the room, especially with a wireless keyboard/mouse and a mobile lectern.

“This motivates me to walk around the tables and actively communicate with students, and also makes it easier to facilitate both team-based and whole-class discussions. I believe students definitely benefit from this: easier interactions with the instructor and fellow students.”

Ian Jamie
Senior Lecturer, Molecular Sciences
“The arrangement of desks and seating really promotes collaborative work. There’s much more activity, discussion and assistance occurring in these rooms than the old-style, forward-facing tutorial rooms.

“Access to power is another good feature of these rooms, with all students able to charge their devices. Additionally, the general spaciousness of the rooms is good for me. I can easily move around, monitoring students’ work and providing assistance when called for.”

Linda Kelly
Lecturer, Geography and Planning
“There’s much to like about the new teaching spaces, but top of my list would be the floor-to-ceiling windows allowing great natural light and an expansive outlook. This creates an excellent atmosphere for teaching. I also like its ‘newness’ and good acoustics.

“Students have told me they think the acoustics, seating arrangement and aesthetically pleasing interior design make for a positive space for engagement and interaction, adding much value to their student experience.”

Share your feedback

Please let us know your experiences of teaching in the 1CC teaching spaces by completing a short survey or joining a focus group.

Find out more

For more information about booking 1CC teaching spaces – including makerspaces, our ‘workshop-type’ spaces that can be used for design, prototyping, running events and challenges, teacher-training etc – please contact Asset Manager, Learning and Teaching Craig Oliver at craig.oliver@mq.edu.au.

Aboriginal artist Lara Went (main picture) brought her gifted Burrumering guardian spirit to life last month, creating three huge murals at the Sport and Aquatic Centre. She also visited children at Banksia, Gumnut and Waratah Cottages, guiding them through some art-making activities.

Two Indigenous Macquarie students, Dylan Barnes and Elijah Ingram – both respected artists themselves – collaborated with Lara to create a large Burrumering guardian spirit in the Sport and Aquatic Centre courtyard.

Inclusive science, for the win

During the October school  holidays the Australian Hearing Hub hosted another successful Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Junior Science Camp, in collaboration with the Junior Science Academy.

An example of a ‘gold standard’ for education accessibility, the camp provides a free, fun science experience for children with hearing challenges, encouraging their further engagement with STEM and aspiration towards tertiary education.  Families travel from all over New South Wales to attend, giving the children an invaluable chance to connect with peers.

The camps also give Master of Clinical Audiology students an opportunity to engage with the children and put their knowledge into practice.

Best water views in town almost ready to hit the market

Macquarie’s new on-campus accommodation in the Central Courtyard Precinct is almost complete, ready to house students at the start of 2021.

“While most staff had to take a break from campus earlier this year, we were hard at work building a new home for students at the heart of the University,” says Director of Property Mark Broomfield. “We’re excited to see the project edge closer to the final completion milestone and are looking forward to the final fit out and opening early next year.”

No international travel? No problem

International travel may be off the cards, but it didn’t stop 70 students from German Studies, Languages and Cultures and the Global Leadership Program getting an exclusive tour of a section of the Berlin Wall last month.

Ms Sonja Griegoschewski, Director of the Goethe-Institut, gave the students a virtual tour of a slab from the original wall that is on display at the organisation’s Woollahra headquarters, and shared her personal insights of life in Berlin before and after the fall of the wall.  Deputy Consul General Mr Klaus Steitz also gave the students a valuable ‘insiders’ look’ at the functions and priorities of the Council of the European Union, which is currently presided over by Germany.

The event was moderated by Associate Professor Ulrike Garde and organised in collaboration with the Global Leadership Program and the Bachelor of International Studies.

And there are few places on campus more symbolic of connection and community than the Central Courtyard, which is now nearing the completion of its redevelopment into a vibrant new space for our community to enjoy.

“With a campus of this size, the Central Courtyard Precinct really is akin to a town centre,” says Project Director Tony Carton. “In revitalising the courtyard, we are creating a town square that everyone at Macquarie can enjoy year-round.”

The vibe of the new Courtyard Precinct is bright, green and welcoming, with surrounding buildings opened up to flow into the outdoor space and solar-powered heating allowing for outdoor dining around the perimeter of the courtyard through the winter months.

Landscaping has been a key element of the project, with 1100m² of soft new Kikuyu turf having been rolled out earlier this month, and trees carefully selected to provide colour and shade through all seasons.

“Two tree species were specifically chosen for the site, with the stock having been nurtured offsite for the last two years before being planted in July,” explains Tony.

“The evergreen and native Flindersia Bennettiana (growing to 20 metres in height) will provide shade in summer, with attractive flowers and seed pods through the warmer months and is being planted in the more central areas of the courtyard. The deciduous Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘Urbdell’ (which has a lower height of about 8-10 metres) is being planted on the edges and will provide spring flowers and bronze autumn colour and allow more sunlight to reach the courtyard through the winter months.”

Work on the buildings within the Central Courtyard Precinct – including renovation of the Lincoln Building and the construction of a new five-level hub building – is also progressing well, with new teaching spaces, food and retail spaces, a new graduation hall and student accommodation among the things we can look forward to in 2021.

Find out more about the new Central Courtyard Precinct on the Campus Development Plan website.

Arts precinct

Bordered by Wally’s Walk, First Walk and Western Road, the Arts Precinct redevelopment is well underway with progress becoming more visible each month since construction started in July 2018. This year will see the site’s greatest transformation as new and repurposed buildings take on their future form. The Arts Precinct is due for completion in early 2020.

Key features:

• Approximately 17,000m² total area, including a 4,800m² new building
• Teaching, academic and showcase spaces to highlight the Faculty’s ongoing work, research and achievements
• Dedicated museum floorspace consolidating the University’s Ancient History Museum, Numismatics and Australian History Museum
• A new atrium connecting refurbished and new buildings will feature roofing ‘balloons’ to allow abundant natural light while protecting from wind and rain.

Central Courtyard 

The new heart of campus will to return to Wally’s Walk in the form of a revitalised and replanted Central Courtyard. Flowing onto the University’s lake and lawn, the Central Courtyard area will be redeveloped to include 25 formal teaching spaces and adjacent informal learning areas that will complement MUSE/MAZE and add newer format teaching environments. The Central Courtyard is due for completion in late 2020.

Key features:

• 68,000m² total area
• Social and educational focus
• New on-campus accommodation for students (345 beds planned in the initial phase)
• New graduation hall, retail areas including the U Bar, upgraded Lincoln Building with food and beverage outlets and a new home for the Research Office.

What’s happening next?
The contract will be awarded and announced shortly, after which construction will begin.

Clinical Education Building

To sit between Macquarie University Hospital and 75 Talavera Road, a brand new $43m building will cater for expansion of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences’ teaching program. Construction will start in March with the building due for completion in early 2020.

Key features:

• Timber building with four levels of lecture theatres and modern study areas
• Modern, environmentally sustainable design and landscaping to blend communal, exterior and indoor spaces.

What’s happening next?
The contract will be awarded and announced shortly, after which construction will begin.

Macquarie University International College (MUIC)

Several buildings representing 3200m² of space are undergoing a makeover to transform the MUIC teaching, study, communal and amenity areas to modernise and future-proof this important College which hosts a large international cohort each year. New classrooms will be ready for use at the beginning of Session 1, with all works to be completed by the end of April 2019.

Key features:

• New student hub
• Refurbished courtyard
• New Independent Learning Centre
• New International English Language Testing System centre

Walanga Muru pavilion

Next to 6 First Walk, the University is halfway through construction of a pavilion designed as an attractive and functional gathering place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, staff and visitors. The outdoor area will feature native landscaping and will be large enough to host formal or informal gatherings but small enough to ensure a sense of togetherness and community.

Shared zone – Research Park Drive/Innovation Road

Cordoned off for the final stages of works since late 2018, the road and footpath areas surrounding 4 Research Park Drive will reopen in coming weeks. The upgraded, refurbished outdoor thoroughfare has been designed as a shared public area where both pedestrians and drivers are accommodated. Wally’s Walk is a notable example of the University’s commitment to prioritising pedestrian spaces where possible across the campus.

As part of the Campus Development Plan, an exciting new Arts Precinct is being created. A transformational project for the Faculty of Arts, the new area will showcase the unique nature and focus of each department. Today we’re excited to share some more details of the project and the first illustration of what’s to come.

As we close out 2017 and prepare for a New Year, major developments will begin taking place in the area that will become a new Arts Precinct for the University, better preparing the area for the next 50 years of our growth.

The Macquarie University Arts Precinct Project (MUAPP) is a transformational project for the Faculty of Arts that will consolidate ten of twelve departments into a precinct that showcases the unique nature and focus of each.

“The development of the new Arts Precinct is an exciting project to happen in the rich history of our Faculty, and it represents a strong commitment and sizeable investment in the future of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Macquarie University,” says Professor Martina Möllering, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts.

Artist’s impression only

As part of the project, Buildings W6A and W6B will be renewed while retaining their legacy value. The redesign will encourage activity and collaboration among departments in an innovative new space while maintaining private areas for more focused work.

Corridors that were previously closed will be replaced with glass, and showcase walls and interactive display screens will reflect the Faculty’s desire for transparency within its built environment.

In addition, the project will deliver a new 4800m2 building to the south of Building W6A consisting of a new office and showcase area and a consolidated museum facility. A new atrium space between W6A and the Museum will connect the buildings and offer covered access across the site.

“This new precinct will be a transformational learning and research-enriched environment with access to enhanced learning facilities and an immersive environment for languages and culture. It allows for the continued growth of the Faculty and is a big part of our vision for the future growth of our campus,” says Mark Broomfield, Director of Property.

We look forward to sharing more details as we build this new precinct, which will be the central facility and social hub for the Faculty of Arts. For questions, email campusdevelopment@mq.edu.au.