The new development

Why is ANU building new student accommodation?

The demand for housing on campus currently exceeds the number of spaces we have available. We estimate approximately 1,500 students who wanted to live on campus in 2016 were not able to be accommodated. By building new residences, we will be able to maximise the number of students who get to enjoy the unique experience of living at ANU, providing accommodation that meets the standards of the future.

Where will the new residences be built?

The preferred location for the new residences is on the existing Bruce Hall site. The current design plans propose two buildings constructed on the current Bruce site with an open green space in between. The open green space is in-line with the National Capital Plan Master Plan for the site. If implemented this would extend University Avenue all the way from Childers Street in the east through to Clunies Ross Street in the west.

The newer Packard Wing building would remain as part of this plan however the rest of Bruce Hall's buildings would be demolished.

What sites did ANU consider for the new residences and why have they been ruled out?

The University looked at a number of options for the site of the new accommodation including the carparks both north and south of the existing Bruce Hall site. Both sites have deficiencies such as planning height restrictions, difficult shapes and light and shade issues. More than 10 different site placements within the Bruce Hall area and immediate vicinity were evaluated, with the existing Bruce Hall site offering the best design alternative.

Why can't Bruce Hall be upgraded or renovated?

The wings of Bruce Hall contain fit-outs that are at the end of their useful life and provide little modern amenity in regard to heating, cooling, acoustics and technical services and are generally in poor condition.

An audit undertaken of the building identified serious shortfalls in compliance with the current Building Code of Australia (BCA) consistent with the age of the building. These shortfalls continue to exist despite various partial ad-hoc upgrades following the failure of service and/or some minor capital works improvements over time.

Any refurbishment that constitutes more than 50 per cent of the building, including fit out, will need to comply with the BCA. This will be the case for any work on Bruce Hall to achieve any semblance of amenity consistent with other modern accommodation either on campus or within Australia.  Further complications are likely to arise in a renovation project with regard to contamination from asbestos and other contaminants such as lead. All of these factors lean towards a complicated and time consuming process being required to "gut" the building to enable a full internal rebuild and also to make changes to the external fabric of the building such as replacement of window frames.

Has ANU assessed the heritage value that Bruce Hall contributes both to ANU and Canberra?

A detailed heritage impact assessment was carried out by an external consultant for the ANU. The assessment identified that Bruce Hall has not been nominated to, or entered in the Commonwealth Heritage List.

However as part of the impact assessment undertaken the significance of the emotional connection between alumni and Bruce Hall was identified. This was also one of the concerns raised in the alumni forums.  In response, further work has been undertaken to integrate important cultural elements within the proposed design and document the process to select further symbolic items of history in order to keep and preserve the cultural traditions of Bruce Hall that are of value to residents and its alumni.

In terms of echoing the former building design as part of the new building design, expressed columns and beams in the dining hall have been included, the Fred Ward furniture will be retained, the Bruce Hall crest will be relocated to the end of the dining hall, the Leonard French art will also be relocated to the dining hall and Fugleman sculpture will be refurbished and relocated to the new Bruce Hall.

To assist with preservation, the Bruce Hall Keep and Preserve committee has been established to assist to identify, collect and store significant artefacts, artwork, documents, furnishings, furniture and objects relating to the unique culture and histories of Bruce Hall. This committee will help determine and manage the Bruce Hall collection and continue to ensure important components of it are appropriately integrated into the new buildings.

The heritage impact assessment has also identified the requirement to define the activities that are to be undertaken in the transition phase of relocating from the current Bruce Hall to the new Bruce Hall.

Can ANU apply to have the national capital plan and height limits altered?

The height limits are part of a statutory planning instrument determined by the National Capital Authority. The Authority typically reviews the planning requirements every 5 to 10 years and it takes several years to complete. A review has only recently been completed. These planning documents also consider implications on infrastructure and also the broader typology for the University.

The current height of the proposed new buildings avoids a scale of building that is too tall relative to the retained green spaces between and surrounding the buildings.

Whilst it is possible to challenge a height change to the planning instrument, it is a process that could take years to resolve with no certainty of outcome.

Why can't three or four smaller halls be built on the sites that are deemed unsuitable due to height restrictions to make up the 800 beds?

The University's priority is to continue to offer students quality accommodation at an affordable tariff. To achieve this we must design and deliver buildings that are efficient to construct, operate and manage. Unfortunately, building three or four low-rise new residences, as opposed to two, would significantly increase the construction cost of the project and ongoing operating costs.

We are endeavouring to deliver the two-residence model at exactly the same price for students, plus CPI, based on the existing tariff regime. This is because we will achieve cost efficiencies due to the simplicity of two buildings and their design and sitting providing ability to shared infrastructure such as kitchens - which is a significant saving.

Bruce Hall currently has accommodation for 330 students. Can the University make Bruce Hall with fewer beds and the other hall with more?

The total number of students that can be accommodated in the two residences needs to be around 800 but this could mean more students in one hall of residence and fewer in another.

The University's original concept was for two halls, each with 400 residents.  In addition, Bruce Hall would have had another 78 residents in Packard Wing.  After receiving feedback from staff and students, the University has amended the proposal so that Bruce Hall will have 360 residents plus Packard Wing and the South Hall will have 440 residents.

What are the key design features of the new building?

Bruce Hall alumni and students are very attached to many of the design elements and spaces of Bruce Hall, in particular the communal spaces like the dining hall and the Buttery. ANU and its architects have paid close attention to retaining many of the existing Bruce Hall features in the new Bruce Hall building. Feedback from ongoing forums with the students have been incorporated into the design of Bruce Hall dining room and Buttery.

Each Hall will have its own private central quadrangle, dining hall and common areas.

Designs for these communal spaces are well advanced now but will continue to evolve over the coming weeks.

Will the new Bruce Hall be catered or uncatered?

The new Bruce Hall will be catered. Providing quality meals for students living at Bruce Hall is a key priority. The provision of excellent catering at the new Bruce Hall is a core part of the plan to make these residences the premier new facility for on-campus accommodation. The University is currently looking at a range of options and improvement possibilities.

When will the new residences be built?

Demolition is proposed to commence in early in 2017. Prior to the actual demolition, a large amount of work would need to be carried out on the site. The community will be kept informed on developments and an updated timeline will be provided.

Had ANU not embarked on a consultation process and pushed hard on the timetable, it would have been possible for the new halls to open by the start of 2018.  However, ANU wanted to consult alumni and students of Bruce Hall and other interested parties and so decided upon a revised schedule which would see the new Bruce Hall open at the beginning of the 2019 academic year.

Are both of the proposed halls to be called Bruce Hall?

One hall will be Bruce Hall and the other Hall has the working title of 'South Hall'. It is yet to be named.

How will temperature be controlled in the new building?

The building will be efficient to run - intentionally planned and designed to make it consume less energy. The student rooms are not air conditioned, there is heating only. The common areas will be air conditioned.

What will the impact of the new buildings be on car parking? 

We are not losing any car parking spaces to accommodate the new buildings. ANU has a number of existing car spaces and recently we made available additional spaces for students in the Dickson Parking station.

We encourage students to take the healthy option and walk or cycle around the campus to lessen the need we have for car parking on campus. Residential students consume a proportionately lower number of parking spaces than staff and students who travel to ANU.

ANU has recently embarked on a car share scheme that will be made available to students. This will enable licenced students to book cars through an online booking platform.

The balconies seem too small and impractical. Will the senior residences have larger balconies like in the original Bruce Hall?

Every room in the new design will have its own juliet balcony, with a fully opening door. While these balconies will not be large, they will allow plenty of fresh air and light into student rooms.

Historically the larger balconies were given to more senior students.

The feedback from the current students is that a more equitable approach is preferred and all students are to be provided with balconies.

Each building in the new Halls will have rooftop gardens providing a another open space for students and a location to host informal gatherings and meetings.

Will the new quads be private an accessible only to residents?

The proposal is that the quads in the new buildings will be secure and only accessible to students of the Halls.

How have the new buildings been designed to maximise energy performance?

The project aims to achieve environmental and resource efficiencies where possible. The project is ineligible for a formal Green Star rating due to the class of building  but we will be seeking an aspirational 5 Star Green Star rating and hope to utilise the Green Star Multi Unit Residential tool to provide guidance in the preparation of the design and the management of the construction period. The building will be designed to meet current NCC/BCA energy efficiency requirements and the fixtures and fittings will be selected to be as efficient as possible within the project budget. 

There are no plans for major renewable energy generation on the building as this needs to be considered in the broader context of the University.  We are proposing to provide the spatial requirements and necessary infrastructure to allow installation of PV cells at a later date for domestic heating, hot water or electricity supply.