RMIT Building 101

The RMIT Building 101 is a design developed for a speculative education tower. The design reflects on standard structural design for high-rise buildings and provides amenities designated for educational purposes. The architecture makes emphasis on the necessity of outdoors spaces in educational precincts, particularly in inner city contexts. This tower brings out gathering spaces to the building’s façade, embracing the communal aspect of learning and creates a structural disjunction between the allocation of public and private amenities. This last feature creates the illusion of an impossible hanging structure.

SITE

The site is in 81 Bouverie st. Carlton 3053. There is an existing warehouse building with additional retail space which can be removed for new development of the premises. The advantage of the inner-city location and corner site makes this space ideal for an intricate tower design. The exposure to high foot traffic facilitates the consideration of a restaurant venue and other public amenities such as library and lecture theatre.

Precedents & Research

Language Centre EAFIT University

Roy & Diana Vagelos education centre

Scool of Architecture, Crescent University

Mass Analysis

The building mass analysis explores the two-volume relationship taken from the precedents, by applying a mass that would suit the site context and environmental conditions. Public spaces are taken to the front of the building and become the street facades.

Space planning

The interior spaces have been carefully analysed and distributed to meet all the brief’s requirements, as well as composing an efficient arrangement where each room complements each other and is located in hierarchical order.

Building Type

This project has been revised under the NCC (Australia) Specifications for public buildings (Category 9B). RMIT Building 101 is designed for people to gather in small to medium groups for learning and cultural activities.