The University of Wollongong has revealed plans to become a city within a city, home to thousands of extra students, a thriving 24/7 campus life and several new buildings rising up to seven storeys.
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According to the final version of its ambitious 20-year master plan, released Tuesday, the university will move, replace or refurbish numerous buildings and create seven new precincts at its main campus.
It also plans to overhaul its access strategy – with more car spaces, a new entrance and campus-to-beach bike network – and entice people to stay on campus longer with new shops, restaurants and bars.
UOW says the master plan is “the single largest unified planning exercise ever undertaken”, which involved months of research and consultation with students, staff, businesses, the government and community members.
Under the plan, the university hopes to grow its student population of 17,080 full time students by one per cent each year, meaning an extra 3230 students would attend the Wollongong campus.
Six new faculty buildings and two new learning and teaching spaces totalling about 80,000 square metres of new floor space would cater for this increase, with most growth required for engineering, IT, science and health faculties.
The university also plans several “iconic” buildings which will “depart somewhat from the campus palette and architectural style”, including a seven-storey entrance block at the existing Kids Uni site on Northfields Avenue.
An “extended-hour campus life” will create a “sticky” campus for staff and students, according to the plan, encouraging them to stay longer and “providing a compelling place for learning 24 hours a day and seven days a week”.
“Existing and proposed facilities (such as the new IGA supermarket) will be supplemented with additional complementary food outlets and entertainment opportunities,” the plan says.
These cafes, restaurants and licenced venues – including a proposed bar for staff on the roof of the library – would have extended hours, to “enliven” the campus during night and day.
“A new central University Square will provide a new focus for large events, performances and markets,” the plan says.
Car parks will be moved to the “campus periphery” outside the ring road, with an extra 602 car spaces proposed to maintain the current ratio of 5.4 students per parking space. A new northern entry, made possible by the state’s planned Mount Ousley interchange, forms a central part of the future access plan, while campus-to-beach bike networks and improved pedestrian tracks would be designed to encourage more active transport.
Seven new precincts
Campus heart
This area is a focus for student experience and resources on campus, hosting Student Central, a variety of retail and hospitality offers and learning spaces such as the library.
Close to Northfields Avenue, it is connected to public transport, frames the Duck Pond Lawn and, from a student experience perspective, forms the heart of campus life.
Buildings and plans include:
- University Square – a plaza created from the removal of Building 20 which could be used to host events, performances and markets.
- A new learning and teaching building facing the McKinnon Building and University Square. Will require partial demolition of Building 19.
- Library expansion and central “one-stop-shop” for Student Services.
- Arrival plaza – the major entrance to the campus from the bus interchange which may “celebrate the cultural heritage of the campus, using hard landscaping and integrated art to tell local indigenous stories or alumni achievements”.
- Northfields Avenue streetscape upgrade
- Mini-supermarket at the UniCentre.
Campus east
This area encompasses the faculties of Engineering and Information Sciences and Science, Medicine and Health and includes the new SMART Infrastructure Facility and the Sciences Teaching Facility.
Buildings and plans include:
- A seven-storey, “iconic and welcoming” entrance building to replace the Kid’s Uni childcare building which would be the public face of the university.
- Extra space for engineering, which will be one of the fastest growing faculties – buildings along the M1 could be of greater heigh to enhance the university’s visibility along the main road.
- Pedestrian and cycle bridge to connect TAFE Illawarra to the campus as well as pedestrian shared paths.
- Molecular and Life Sciences building
- Refurbishment of building 15 and extension of Building 4.
Campus west
This area hosts the faculties of Law, Humanities and the Arts, Social Sciences and Business, along with the McKinnon building and UOW College. It includes the recently completed Early Start facility.
Buildings and plans include:
- Arts and Social Sciences building – a hub for g geography, health and society, social work, theatre, performance, communications, film and journalism.
- Shared road and Mount Keira Walk – The Ring Road between the Early Start facility, and the proposed Arts and Social Sciences building, could be downgraded with paving treatment and landscaping, thereby improving pedestrian safety while still allowing for service access. ‘Mt Keira Walk’ could be introduced to the north of the Arts and Social Sciences building.
- Partial demolition of Building 19
- Multi-deck car park
- Kid’s Uni relocation.
- Future campus growth – Buildings 23, 25 and 27 will be replaced and redefined.
Sports precinct
This Precinct includes the University Recreation and Aquatic Centre (URAC), synthetic hockey field, three ovals, and tennis courts
Buildings and plans include:
- Northern entrance and gateway to Wollongong Campus – depending on the implementation of the Mount Ousley Interchange this could become a second main entry with additional car parking.
- Underground car park – a car park under the hockey field and adjacent Oval 2 would alleviate car parking pressures along Northfields Avenue. The hockey field and Oval 2 will be upgraded to an all weather synthetic surface and will extend the usable life of these fields. A changing pavilion and outdoor seating could be introduced to the west of the hockey field.
- URAC extension
- Water storage under ovals to store rainwater for irriagtion and pools
Eastern precinct
The Eastern Precinct contains all of the on-campus postgraduate accommodation, including the Northfields Avenue accommodation that is currently under construction.
- Water feature marking the gateway to the university
- Student accommodation for another 261 students, due for completion this year
- Mixed use buildings along Northfields Avenue
- Pedestrian connections
Western precinct
The Western Precinct contains all of the on-campus undergraduate accommodation, including the Kooloobong accommodation that is currently under construction.
- Kooloobong – due for completion in 2018 and will house 830 additional students
- Multistorey car park for student residents and with a potential connection from Robsons Road.
- Security building
- Extra 250-500 beds of student accommodation replacing ageing housing stock
Mount Keira Foothills
The University owns a significant landholding to the west of Robsons Road, located in the foothills of Mount Keira. This area is heavily vegetated, and includes the Ken Ausburn Track which begins at Robsons Road and leads up past the Lawrence Hargrave Memorial Sculpture by Herbert “Bert” Flugelman.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
