The opinions of more than 400 Canberrans have been collected concerning the Canberra Institute of Technology’s (CIT) planned new campus in Woden, which has promised to integrate community and stakeholder feedback into the design and planning.
Minister for Tertiary Education, Chris Steel said the participants in the survey had indicated a preference for well-integrated buildings of up to 12 stories, featuring activated common areas and green spaces.
“There is a great deal of excitement about this project and what it means for the revitalisation of Canberra’s southern hub, with 85 per cent of surveyed community members in favour of the new CIT campus and public transport interchange,” Mr Steel said.
“As part of the design process we called on the local community to help define the preferred features of the integrated mixed-use campus which will be built in the heart of Woden connecting with the new public transport interchange,” he said.
“Education is the priority for this project, with many commenting on the benefits associated with open plan, collaborative learning spaces which contribute to innovation and excellence in vocational education and training.”
Mr Steel said key findings from the public consultation included a design which utilised the full site footprint and most (33 per cent) respondents preferring building heights of six to 12 storeys.
He said key considerations identified by respondents included green space opportunity (68 per cent), seamless integration with the area (34 per cent) and the visual impact of the campus (25 per cent).
“Regarding the external façade of the building, respondents indicated a preference for a futuristic (20 per cent) and modern (19 per cent) aesthetic, although a design which acknowledged the local flora, fauna and history of the area was also important (15 per cent),” he said.
“In the coming weeks we will be seeking interest from architecture firms to work with the ACT Government in the ongoing development and refinement of the campus design, incorporating feedback gathered during the public consultation in the next stage of the design process,”
Mr Steel said construction activities were due to begin next year.
