Monash College

Monash University together with Monash College had a vision to create a vertical village in Docklands that was not the product of a single design practice but rather the meshing of many authors to ensure vitality, complexity, and activation for over 6,000 occupants. One author, Glas Urban had one of the most critical spaces in the village where the aspirations were to create a break with the formal and informal learning spaces with a completely different ecosystem. A biome. Filled with plants, warm and moist air, timber seating, no computers! It smells different it feels different it looks different.

These 4 biomes or winter gardens are a green refuge in a large and busy village; they are the parks and gardens in a 10 storey tower. Students and staff can sit or recline on a bench and watch the shipping on the bay or the trams trundling down Collins; they can merge with the plants and watch the pedestrian traffic along the Campus Loop. But no matter what they choose they will know and feel that they have stepped into a different world, one that can provide a break from the hustle of village life and restore their well-being. Glas Urban have created 4 wonderful gardens that hint of exotic travel and time away from the ordinary to recharge and refresh.