Murdoch University Student Hub

The Student Hub at Murdoch University sits at the heart of the South Street campus on Bush Court, giving students in Perth a central place to meet, eat, socialise, study informally and reach the support services they rely on. It is the largest single investment the university has made in the student experience across its 40 year history, and it lifts the standard of campus amenity beyond anything else currently offered in Western Australia.

Rather than scatter functions across the campus, the design draws them into one cohesive setting that works as a home away from home. Returning the Student Guild to Bush Court was central to that idea: by placing the Guild within the Centre for Student Life, the project restores its visibility and relevance and helps students feel genuine ownership of the space.

The interiors are deliberately flexible, shared and multi-purpose, and they extend outdoors so spaces can be used for longer through the day. A range of external areas supports a work or study anywhere approach, with carefully made microclimates offering respite and a clear contrast to the rooms inside. Blurring the line between indoor and outdoor keeps every part of the Hub in use.

Delivered in 2017 with a construction budget of around USD 21 million.

Architecture, urban development and interior design by Hames Sharley (James Edwards). Photography by Robert Frith.