Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship: Contemporary Learning Spaces within a Historic Campus Show more lines

Designed to embody the values the Wade Institute strives to impart to its students of the Masters of Entrepreneurship — creativity, curiosity and impactful solutions to real world problems — this teaching building in the grounds of Ormond College presents a series of contrasts. By turns it is serious and celebratory, garden pavilion and university cloister, structurally innovative yet simple in form. The building combines unconventional teaching spaces with a roof-top tennis court, high performance building fabric in the service of energy reduction, flexibility, and a coherent design response to the complex architectural context of its site.

The feeling inside is a surprising combination of tranquility and energized possibility. The minimal columns and the glazing contribute to the feeling of lightness, while the perimeter walkway created by the extended roof slab, brings a sense of protection. Detailing of the building utilised a Passivhaus PHPP model to drive low energy usage through high levels of insulation and building sealing, avoiding thermal bridges and using mechanical ventilation heat recovery. It requires precise detailing but delivers an extraordinarily positive experience for users.

Adaptable to multiple format or use, the larger teaching space is open plan. The end wall is for projection, and the floor is finished in cork. By contrast, the smaller seminar room is more sumptuous, though deceptively simple at first glance. Here, the walls are triple glazed and the floor is covered in leather. One half of the floor can be raised by hydraulic lifts to form a seating rake. Raisable benches have multiple uses.