Library Buildings around the World

Collaborative Learning Centre, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD – Australia 2005
The commission for the Sir James Foots Building included the development of a new genre of teaching facility developed for
Academic Services for the University. The Collaborative Learning Centre (CLC) has been developed through a series of workshop
events in conjunction with University teaching personnel and key stakeholders. The design workshops were facilitated by Wilson
Architects and have encouraged the users to consider alternate methods of teaching by analysing and abstracting the existing
teaching models. The outcomes of this method of abstraction led us to develop a series of structured and unstructured, organic
teaching spaces able to offer a flexible choice of teaching method, be it relaxed, collaborative, group or individual based.
A variety of spatial treatment has been proposed to each of the teaching spaces to further aid in the variety of teaching methods. A
combination of loose and fixed benching combined with loose lounge and desk furniture is configured to facilitate individual focused
work and/or encourage group interaction and discussion between desk arrangements. The major teaching spaces each cater for
between 80 to 100 people.
Wilson Architects also promoted the idea that learning and the process of understanding information usually happens beyond the
classroom, and a series of social interaction and contemplative spaces have been created adjoining the teaching spaces, including a
coffee shop, student lounge area, loose occasional soft furniture inside with sculptured landscape terraces and gardens outside.
Access to wireless internet and email and also large format plasma information displays throughout add to the dynamics of the
space. (Wilson)
University of Queensland, Resource Centre Ipswich, Ipswich, QLD – Australia 2003
The Resource Centre Building at the University of Queensland Ipswich Campus was designed to function as a united shop front, a
place for interaction between students and the Ipswich Community to be associated with printed and digital technologies and
support resources. The facility comprised three buildings interconnected by a two story landscape which stitches the variety of
spaces together whilst also providing separation between high energy electronic based group activities and quieter reference library
study.
The landscape comprises trees and ground covers with a recirculating water rill as the source of humidity required to sustain
plantings in air conditioned environments.
The return air vents for this building are located in the library up stand bench ensuring that recirculated air is drawn through and
over the planting medium.
This internal landscape is featured in the 2012 Bloom Exhibition in Canberra which acknowledges the important research being
carried out at the University of Technology in Sydney, into the capcities of plant/soil to remove harmful substances from indoor air
and the important positive contribution that interior landscape plays to the health and well being and productivity to building
occupants. (Wilson)
Workshop 1 see: Dunn & Hillam Architects
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