Central Education Building

Strengthening educational excellence

A new Central Education Building is planned to strengthen the University's commitment to educational excellence, as outlined in Strategy 2030: Resilience. This critical infrastructure will enable contemporary teaching and learning practices designed to prepare students to thrive in an increasingly complex world – envisioned in our Advancing Students and Education Strategy.

A shared hub for teaching, learning and connection

The Central Education Building will reflect the evolving ways in which students learn and educators teach.

The spaces where students learn have a profound impact on their university experience. Buildings are a critical enabler of how teaching and learning is delivered, and how engaged students feel during their studies.

The Central Education Building will respond to student feedback highlighting the need for a better sense of belonging by increasing access to spaces for study and connection on campus.

The Central Education Building will also play a significant role in alleviating timetabling pressures felt strongly across the Parkville campus, by providing more flexible teaching spaces that can be adapted for a variety of class styles.

Key benefits

Designed for use across all faculties, the new Central Education Building will feature:

A welcoming front door to the University, creating a vibrant arrival experience and a central hub for teaching, learning and campus life.
Interactive, technology-enabled teaching spaces to facilitate contemporary learning practices, including for large undergraduate lectures.
Reduced travel times and eased scheduling pressure through flexible teaching spaces designed to accommodate a wide variety of class styles in one central location.
Honoured Indigenous and institutional histories embedded into the project.
Dedicated study and social spaces adjacent to teaching areas, connecting students and creating a stronger sense of belonging.

Building sustainably for the future

A resilient university depends on a sustainable estate. Through responsible stewardship, the University makes considered decisions about how we manage, maintain and invest in our campus environment.

The Central Education Building’s selected Grattan Street site was proposed due to its central location within the Parkville campus and its proximity to the new Parkville Station.

The Central Education Building design will consider sustainability and long-term resilience through careful use of resources, reuse of materials where possible, and a focus on efficient, adaptable infrastructure.

The design is guided by the University’s Sustainability Plan 2030 and Design Standards, which require new buildings to achieve a minimum 5-Star Green Star rating. A circular approach to construction will also be used, which involves reusing materials from the John Medley Building to minimise waste and the need for new materials.

Consultation and engagement

The Central Education Building has been informed by a comprehensive needs analysis, undertaken in partnership with faculties and aligned with the University's master planning initiatives.

We are now in the very early stages of design and will engage with a wide range of user groups throughout the design process, including student representatives, academic staff from all faculties, sustainability advisors, campus operations teams, and the surrounding community to ensure the Central Education Building responds to their needs.

These groups will be involved in developing detailed briefing requirements and providing feedback on design proposals. In addition, internal and external stakeholders will be engaged at key stages, including staff who may be affected by construction activity, to ensure impacts are well understood and managed.

Contact us

Please direct any questions to master-plan@unimelb.edu.au. This inbox is closely monitored to ensure timely responses.