100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

USC expansion plans: bigger and bolder campus set to cater for an influx of students

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Twin brothers reunited with Middle East deployments

Twin brothers who grew up on the beaches of Noosa have been reunited at a key military facility on the sands of the Middle More

Space for hire in former council headquarters

A section of the Sunshine Coast's iconic old council building has been repurposed as a community space. The Eddie de Vere building, in the heart More

Photo of the day: return to sea

A loggerhead turtle heads back to sea after nesting at Sunrise Beach. This photo was taken by Penny Robertson. If you have a photo of More

Schools and services set to reopen but rain still a concern

A severe weather warning remains in place for the Sunshine Coast but many services are resuming after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred began moving across the More

‘Worse than sewage’: cyclonic sea foam warning

As ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred whips up sea foam along the coastline, a University of the Sunshine Coast microbiologist warns these “bacteria smoothies” may have More

Forecast brings more anxiety but conditions set to ease

The threat of a downgraded tropical cyclone is not over as downpours and flooding continue, with more than 200,000 homes without power and over More

The University of the Sunshine Coast has plans to expand Australia’s newest campus next year.

The master-planned development for the Moreton Bay campus at Petrie will provide more room for teaching, research, sporting activity and socialising.

USC recently lodged a development application with Moreton Bay Regional Council to construct three new buildings on the site, near the Petrie railway station, during 2022, to open in early 2023.

The buildings will be located opposite the large foundation building, adding a further 12,500sqm to the existing floor space of 16,000sqm.

The proposed development has been designed by renowned architectural practice KIRK, to include teaching and research spaces, administration offices, a carpark and sports facilities.

An artist’s impression of the natural courtyards at the campus heart.

USC Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Helen Bartlett said the expansion of USC Moreton Bay would be an exciting time for the university and the region.

“The campus expansion is another step towards creating a thriving innovation ecosystem at The Mill at Moreton Bay, in partnership with the Moreton Bay Regional Council and industry,” she said.

“These buildings will significantly increase the space available for our teaching and research, as well as provide our students with sporting facilities and more areas for them to study, collaborate and socialise.

“The development will help accommodate the growing student population at USC Moreton Bay, which has exceeded expectations during the campus’ first two years.

“The strong demand for university education in the region is clearly evident.

An overview of the planned campus expansion.

“Our main focus is to provide high quality face-to-face, interactive teaching at USC Moreton Bay and this campus expansion will help us enhance our students’ experience of attending university.”

KIRK Director Richard Kirk said the buildings would incorporate significant environmental features and add to the sense of place of the university campus.

Mr Kirk said the project included the full master-planning of the campus, which had proposed a rich verdant landscape within a series of natural courtyards at the campus heart.

“Most of the proposed building structure will be built from pre-fabricated engineered timber, providing a fast construction process and sustainable building solution,” he said.

Subscribe to our free daily news feed. Go to Subscribe at the top of this story and add your name and email. It’s that simple.

“Other environmental features will include areas of mixed-mode ventilation and high-performance facade designed with the aid of advanced digital tools.”

USC’s Moreton Bay campus opened early last year, with a foundation building that contains a 460-seat lecture theatre, state-of-the-art learning technology, nursing simulation labs, engineering labs, a ‘maker-space’ and library facilities.

There are more than 60 undergraduate degrees on offer, across a wide range of disciplines including Business, Education, Health, Science, Technology, Engineering, Biomedical Science and Social Work.

With its student population expected to reach 10,000 by 2030, the campus will become landmark infrastructure for the The Mill at Moreton Bay, which the Council has planned as a sustainable, mixed-use community for residents, students, businesses and industries, and visitors.

 

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share