Until March 2024, law students at Sydney’s Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus were lacking dedicated spaces to meet, congregate and study. For a profession that relies heavily on communication and collaboration, this was a clear disconnect. And then, the Michael Kirby Building opened. Rather than starting completely from scratch, international architecture firm Hassell transformed an 80s admin building into a sustainable and social facility, grafting a three-storey CLT addition onto the existing concrete low-rise.

“The desire to encourage connectivity and collaboration called for a transparent design that is adaptable and flexible, while also retaining as much of the existing building structure as possible,” explains Kevin Lloyd, Principal and Head of Design at Hassell’s Sydney studio.

To that end, the firm replaced the building’s concrete shell with a translucent glazed envelope, protected from the sun by angled metal fins. The new façade treatment creates a visual connection between the major thoroughfare of Wally’s Walk (and the surrounding public spaces) and the building’s interior.

The ethos of transparency continues inside via the new atrium, which served as the old building’s open-air courtyard, which was under-utilized. Though now enclosed, light filters into the naturally ventilated space through a series of south-facing skylights, which help minimize electrical lighting requirements and solar heat gain. 

Left exposed without any applied finishes, the CLT structure lends the interior a sense of warmth while reducing carbon emissions. The social hub is complete with a variety of seating vignettes, including a “hangout stair” (a hallmark of contemporary educational architecture).

The rest of the programs — which include workspaces, research spaces, recording studios for remote lectures, a reading room and an event space— are organized around the central atrium and offer views down into it from the upstairs circulation spaces, which act as balconies.

Thanks to the layout, much of the interior boasts views of both the outdoors and the atrium. “You can almost see what other people are doing from every vantage point of the building, which really gives that sense of interconnectedness and allows for the free exchange of ideas,” Lloyd explains.

Hovering above the entrance, the new Moot Court has been a game changer for the law school at Macquarie University (in the previous building, students only had access to a flat room with some moveable chairs to simulate court proceedings). The new custom-designed space mimics a real courtroom with tiered seating and a judge’s bench.

With ample amenities, from study to lounge spaces, the 8,500-square-metre building has all of the tools to set its students up for success. “We anticipate that 95 per cent of all law classes will be held in the teaching spaces so students really don’t need to leave the building (except to grab a coffee),” says senior lecturer, Dr. Andrew Burke.

Plus, the inclusion of spaces of different scales means the building can evolve to meet future needs, providing flexibility for workspace, research and teaching. By choosing to adapt the existing facility, rather than fully demolishing it, Hassell has reduced its carbon footprint while extending the building’s life for years to come.