Project Details:
Location: Perth, Australia
Type: Educational – Public
Client: Edith Cowan University
Architects: JCY Architects and Urban Designers
‘Ngoolark’ (the Noongar name for the Carnaby Cockatoo) brings to ECU a building and place with a new living and active platform for ‘University Life’, creating an interactive and integrated campus building bringing together the multitude of functions required to provide the highest quality of student services for the campus community and future master-plan.
The project comprises the development of a new campus building, recognising the need to invest in the urban life of the University creating a combined campus marketplace, podium and forum.
Levels one and two provide a strong vibrant and active student hub, with the more ‘private’ corporate structure on upper levels providing flexible and high quality office research and innovation workplaces.
The focus for the whole building is to create an exciting and high quality new typology of accommodation with an iconic identity and an open, connected and collegiate atmosphere.
The site’s inherent level changes provide exciting opportunities to create formal and informal landscaped environments linking together to create a ‘campus street’ filled with both active and passive places.
The rich architectural palette comprises a wonderful faceted concrete podium and a gold perforated aluminium sun-shading skin, folded and patterned with the feathers of the Carnaby Cockatoo.
The podium, the lower forum, the external skin and the atrium work together to create a building which is about landscape; which are natural and cultural with the themes; Ngoolark; Joondal and Jingee which are integrally linked to the local Noongar Aboriginal people of the South West of Australia.
