Welcome to the Melbourne School of Design
A living learning building, the Melbourne School of Design sets a new standard for design education in the Asia-Pacific region.
This site is designed to enhance your experience of the MSD Building. Whether you’re at home or taking a self-guided tour, it will explain why some of the key design decisions were made, and demonstrate what makes the building unique.
Background of the Building
Prior to colonisation, this site was a wetland that belonged to the traditional owners, the Wurundjeri people. The Melbourne School of Design acknowledges the traditional owners and pays its respects to Wurundjeri elders past, present and future.
The Melbourne School of Design, located at the heart of campus and handed over to the University in October 2014, is designed as a learning building – ‘Built Pedagogy’. People learn not only within classrooms but also by using the building and observing the ways that others use it.
Demolition of the old Architecture building and construction of the new MSD provided opportunities for ‘living learning’ through studio classes, exhibitions, tours, photo documentation and teaching activity on and around the site.
The award-winning architects were John Wardle Architects (Melbourne) and NADAAA (Boston). They collaborated on elements of the project often around the clock, working extensively with many other discipline groups to deliver the stunning Melbourne School of Design.
Explore
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Exterior
The Melbourne School of Design is a pedagogical building.
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Basement
Accessible internally and from the eastern courtyard, the Basement houses three theatre spaces.
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The Ground Floor
The flow of the Ground Floor thoroughfare responds to original landforms. There was once a lake in the area and a creek flowed through campus and down into the Yarra River.
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Level 1
Located on Level One, the Brian Lewis Atrium is a magnificent indoor plaza, the ‘heart’ of our new home.
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Level 2
On Level Two, the studios, workspaces and offices are interwoven, bringing our disciplines into active contact.
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Level 3
With interconnected offices and workspaces flanked by open study areas, the office spaces on Level Three predominantly house our key research arms. The research taking place in these groups has influence on the sustainability of our future cities.
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Level 4
Numerous work spaces and offices line the perimeter of Level Four, but it is the Japanese Room and rooftop terrace that are the jewels in the crown.
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6 Star Green Star Design
The MSD new building was awarded a 6 Star Green Star Design – Education Design v1 Rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, scoring 83 points.
Awards and media coverage
The MSD Building has received numerous awards and enjoyed significant coverage in the media. Explore the accolades and articles that document the building's unique features and achievements.