A significant step towards increasing Indigenous participation and success in higher education
University of Technology Sydney – National First Nations Centre
Selected by a six-person jury, comprising representatives from UTS and the City of Sydney, the winning competition design submitted by Warren and Mahoney in partnership with Greenaway Architects and OCULUS was lauded for its thoughtful connection to Country that translated effectively into the built environment, and for the design’s potential to create an exceptional student experience.
The College aims to create an environment where students – Indigenous and non-Indigenous – can thrive and celebrate Indigenous identity and culture, while setting a new benchmark for excellence in Indigenous education and research
A new precinct heart is created at ground level, fostering connections to Country, community, and student life. The ground floor hosts a vibrant mix: a knowledge hub, gallery, and Indigenous co-working spaces. Within the heritage building, co-working galleries showcase Indigenous culture as hosts, not guests. The prominent knowledge hub ensures Indigenous wisdom permeates every corner. The roof of the heritage building creates a spacious extended social area, bridging sky and earth - dissolving architecture to the ground plane.
The UTS National First Nations College is designed around the principle of a ‘community of communities’, seeking to embed not displace, by unlocking opportunities within both the existing community and First Nations students from across Australia
Designed for comfort and connectivity, the college feels like a home, offering diverse spaces for interaction through to areas of respite. Seamless flow from bedrooms to social areas enhances this layering experience. Vertical student neighbourhoods encourage interaction within intimate clusters and provide a direct connection to external areas across all levels of the project.
This significant project exemplifies the power of co-design to inform authentic and sustainable outcomes. Our proposed design expresses Indigenous culture through its form and function, and supports a new generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island leaders to build culture, community and pride.
Collective Effort
Collective Effort
