Monash Art, Design & Architecture (MADA) Courtyards

GLAS Landscape Architects was engaged to provide landscape design expertise for the Warrnambool Learning and Library Centre in 2019, working as a sub-consultant to Kosloff Architecture. The scope of the project focuses on the external spaces surrounding the hub, with a design aimed at integrating the new facilities into the existing TAFE campus and connecting them to the surrounding town, all while reflecting the local coastal environment and historical conAt the heart of the landscape concept is a desire to create spaces that not only function well but also connect people to nature and each other. The design takes cues from the coastal landscape, with its sand dunes, rock outcrops, and indigenous plant life, to inform everything from the material choices to the arrangement of planting and seating. The iconic Norfolk Island Pines that frame the entrance stand as sentinels, welcoming visitors into a civic plaza where the boundary between hard surfaces and soft greenery is intentionally blurred, encouraging exploration and casual interaction.

GLAS was commissioned by Monash University to create courtyard spaces between the new library and the architecture faculty, as well as to design a new courtyard for the Fine Arts workshops and studios at the Caulfield campus. The MADA Courtyards project was envisioned to provide highly flexible spaces that support teaching, events, and everyday social interaction.

The design features a hard landscape with a soft edge. It is suitably flexible to accommodate all the briefed activities whilst still creating a sense of connection to nature through the planting of the terrace and the tree canopy. Furthermore, the manipulated topography creates a simple, robust definition which enables the courtyard to operate as a separate space from the adjacent movement corridors.

The collaboration between GLAS and NMBW architects has created a seamless connection between internal and external space. This allows the students to spill out from the architecture workshops and studios into the external courtyard providing space for ‘making’, ‘learning’, and celebrations.

Traditional Custodians

Bunurong/ Boonwurrung

Location

Caufiled East, VIC

Scale

2,700 sqm

Year

2017

Client

Monash University

Team

NMBW Architecture Studio

Awards

2018 AILA Victoria Award, Civic Landscape. MADA west courtyard for Monash University.

MADA West Courtyard

A hard landscape with healthy soil

The West Courtyard features a sloped plaza designed as a flexible, stage-like surface that directs attention from MADA towards the library. This open, clear ground plane, shaded by a canopy of trees, creates a versatile space for gathering and activity. Along the botanical edge, seating within a planted slope offers a quieter, more contemplative area, perfect for reflection or relaxation near the library.

MADA East Courtyard

Triangular quadrangle

The East Courtyard connects the Fine Arts workshops and studios through a raised, level surface, allowing seamless access between workspaces. A central lawn redefines the courtyard, providing a sheltered space for socializing, outdoor work, and events. A timber deck along the southern edge adds a social dimension, adjacent to the gallery and exhibition space, making the courtyard a hub for both creative activities and relaxation. Together, these courtyards form a cohesive network of spaces that blend learning, making, and community engagement.

Planting

The courtyards are planted with tall Eucalypt species and flowering Brachychitons to admit sun in winter and provide shade in summer.

Soil

Trees are planted in linear soil trenches which provide a large connected reservoir of healthy soil, suppporting resilient planting.

Water

The East Courtyard features a perimeter raingarden that filters runoff from the 'making' terrace, while the West Courtyard's tree trenches, aligned perpendicular to the slope, catch runoff and drain it through permeable paving supported by steel frames.

Carbon

The project will sequester 140 kg of CO2e per m² over 60 years, which is equivalent to removing the emissions of approximately 60,000 kilometers driven by an average passenger vehicle.

Social

The West Courtyard can accommodate approximately 200-300 people, with 45 linear meters of split granite rock seats and steps. The East Courtyard’s 273m² of lawn and deck space can also hold up to more than 250 people during events.