We intentionally designed the buildings to sit respectfully in the landscape. Two undergraduate halls and two smaller postgraduate halls are organised around a new community building and a central spine; two bike storage facilities, a basketball half-court and green complete the village. The undergraduate buildings vary between 5-7 storeys, while the postgraduate buildings are smaller in scale. All step in form and height to break down massing and façade repetition, and to help light reach deep into the plan. We expressed the ends in full height glazing to bring activity to the street and reduce overlooking.

Primary materials of brick, concrete, aluminium and glass are durable and require minimal maintenance. Timber has been used sparingly—on soffits and balustrades—to ensure longevity. We chose restrained colours to avoid competing with the landscape and so that the buildings are cohesive, both across the site and with the wider campus. All materials and colours are honestly expressed but create visual diversity through clever design. For example, each of the buildings has a darker brick base and lighter tone upper levels to evoke the contrast between the landscape’s understory and canopy.

The majority of the village’s communal spaces are located at ground. The undergraduate halls feature two masterchef-style kitchens and dining areas each, for resident use. The kitchens anchor the ends of the u-shaped plans; large common rooms and an outdoor BBQ terrace link the ends.