Latest aerial shots of the building

Here are two wonderful shots that show the emerging facades of the building, the closeness of the city and that give a hint of some of the great views to be had from the building on all sides.

Above: View of the Southern facade from the UNSW L5 building

Above: View of the Southern facade from the UNSW L5 building showing the city skyline in the background

Latest aerial shots of the building

A building emerges from the scaffolding

I haven't posted photos for s few weeks because most of the obvious progress on the building has been inside. And this progress has been significant. For example:

• Carpetting up to level 4
• Furniture being installed
• Level 7 (last floor) walls completed and fit-out well advanced
• Kitchens and built-in items largely installed
• All major services (e.g Air conditioning) virtually completed

Outside the building progress is also good.

• Balcony rails and awnings are being installed
• All the facade finishes are well advanced
• The acoustic screen on Anzac Parade is now being installed

Up to this stage, the outside of the building has been shrouded by the scaffolding; but as it is being slowly removed the beauty and scale of the building are obvious. I have received numerous comments from varied sources about just how good the building looks (well done Lipman and AJC). In the next few weeks the scaffolding will be completely down and the building's quality will be clearer.

The good news is that we are on track for completion before Christmas this year. Our first resident will arrive on January 5th 2009.

Here are some recent images.

Above: Northern elevation viewed from NIDA

Above: Eastern elevation, the acoustic screen is now being installed

Above: The north-eastern elevation from Anzac Parade

Above: Partial view of a studio Kitchenette (sink, cooktop, fridge, microwave)

Above: Bathroom fittings (all 316 bedrooms have a bathroom like this)

A building emerges from the scaffolding

The importance of community

As I indicated in two previous posts (here and here), the New College Village will be more than just a place to live; it will be a strong postgraduate community. There are two main things that will help to ensure that this will be the case: strong programs and a well designed building. Each of these will facilitate opportunities to meet with others. The support programs will include regular social activities; an academic support program consistent with New College traditions; and strong pastoral care support from our well trained Senior Residents led by me as the Master living in the building with my wife Carmen.


The building itself has been carefully designed to facilitate opportunities for interaction that are essential to community building. Our aim in building the New College Village has been to create a unique community for postgraduate students enrolled at UNSW. Many universities around the world attempt to provide designated postgraduate accommodation (although very few in Australia). However, not many universities have seriously given priority to support and community building. Drawing on my own experience living in graduate housing in the USA and my knowledge of the best of the postgraduate colleges in the United Kingdom, I developed a design brief that sought to:

• create spaces for residents to meet with each other in varied contexts - 2 common rooms on each floor with lounges, coffee making facilities and in 7 of these cable television; a large games room; two outdoor courtyards; a rooftop terrace; a reading room; a business centre; a main common room; a convenience store and barbecue facilities outdoors.
• a design that ensures that as residents move through the building there are frequent mingling spaces;
• a location close to key campus-based cafes, restaurants and the graduate lounge (just 100 metres away);
• while offering residents the privacy of their own rooms and ensuites, all apartments and clusters of studio apartments have generous shared space for sharing meals or just spending time with other residents;
• a well equipped business centre that is for the use of all residents to support you in your studies;
• internet services that you'd expect in a modern building with data access to all rooms;
  
• external design features that will ensure that this building has outstanding acoustic features, leading to quiet rooms.
  

The NCV will also have many other things going for it that will make life comfortable and interesting, including air-conditioned rooms; a special membership option for the outstanding University gymnasium and indoor pool (just 200 metres from the front door); a bus stop at the front door that provides access to all the sights of Sydney; some of the world's finest beaches a 20 minute walk away or a short direct bus ride.


Added to the obvious strengths of the building, and the many programs that will support community life, will be the 319 different people who will all be at UNSW to learn from each other. You will be living among postgraduate students from every Australian state and territory and ever continent of the world. You will live in a community unlike any you will have known in the past or will join in the future. This is a rare opportunity.

If you'd like more information the NCV website will give you extra information and will allow you to make an online application.

The importance of community

Fit-out well on the way

We are within 12 weeks of completion of the New College Village. Progress has been good on all fronts. Only Level 7 has significant work to be done with most walls completed and services well advanced. On lower floors the extent of the fit-out varies with elevation. Levels 1 and 2 are almost complete with carpet laying to commence in apartments and studios soon. Most kitchens are now fitted up to Level 4 and painting is well advanced on lower levels. Tiling to bathrooms is completed to Level 3 and underway up to Level 6. The rooftop services are also well advanced with air conditioning and hot water units currently being installed. External finishes are also well advanced with all three surface types under way. The photos below give some sense of the progress to date. We expect completion by the 20th December and our first guests by the 5th January 2009.

Above: View of the southern Level 3 corridor

Above: One of the apartment shared kitchens nearing completion

Above: Services being installed on the roof with the city skyline in the distance

Fit-out well on the way

A 'Skybridge' to New

The New College Village has been developed by New College. One of the wonderful characteristics of the New College community is its sense of fun. Each year it plans and mounts a Revue of the year's activities which is always a great production and is open to the College, University and the public. A revue is meant to be an amusing or satirical commentary on life on the College. One of the items on the program last week was 'The Skybridge'. It was one resident's 'tongue in cheek' comment on how we might bring the old New College and the new "New College Village" together. What do you think?

Not sure if this is an engineering possibility! As for the cost, I'm sure it would be well beyond us. Thanks to David Butterworth for letting us use his image. For the record, the Revue was a wonderful celebration of the talent of the College community. Perhaps the New College Village will have its own Revue in 2009 in the Main Common Room.

A 'Skybridge' to New

Latest Shots

Above: View of the building from Anzac Parade

Lipman is still making good progress on the New College Village. As previously reported the structure is completed. As well:

* Internal walls are now completed for all floors
* Most gyproc internal walls are completed
* Tiling of bathrooms and most fittings are completed to level 1
* Tiling is under way on levels 2 & 3
* Windows are installed to Level 6
* The installation of elevators is well advanced
* Most electrical, mechanical and haudraulic services are finished to Level 7
* External surface finishing is well progressed
* Sealing of the roof is close to completion

Above: Shot from the top of the L5 building

Above: Waterproofing the roof slab

Above: Shot of the northern facade from NIDA

Above: The kitchenettes are being installed in the studios

Latest Shots

External finishing well underway

Progress continues to be good on the building. The following are some key indicators:

• Structure complete
• Internal walls largely completed levels 1-6 and well on the way to level 7 (top floor)
• Services roughed in to level 7
• Painting commenced on level 1
• Preparation for tiling well advanced levels 1-4
• External finishes well advanced
• Acoustic screen to Anzac Parade commenced
• Power sub station installed

The following photographs give a sense of the progress.

Above: Stockpiling tiles and other materials on the roof

Above: Granisite surfacing well under way (first 2 of 6 coats)

Above: Terrasite finishes commence on northern facade


Above: Main Common Room

External finishing well underway