Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation
Victoria
The 24/7 Latelab at Swinburne University of Technology reimagines an underutilised Student Union building as a vibrant, student-centred learning and social hub. Located at the heart of a fragmented inner-urban campus, the project uses adaptive reuse to deliver high-quality amenity while dramatically reducing embodied carbon.
Retaining more than 85% of the existing structure significantly reduced the project’s embodied carbon compared to a new-build scenario, demonstrating the environmental value of reuse at scale. Extensive co-design with students shaped a flexible, welcoming environment that supports diverse modes of study, social interaction and belonging, operating 24 hours a day.
New landscaped terraces, outdoor study areas and a central skylit void bring light, greenery and clarity to a previously dark and confusing building. Now the most frequently used building on campus, the 24/7 Latelab has become a magnetic centre for student life and a benchmark for sustainable campus renewal.
"Co-designed with input from more than 500,000 students, this project reflects Swinburne's commitment to flexible, student-centred learning. The 24/7 Latelab is the cornerstone of our new student precinct, offering a diverse mix of technology-enabled spaces filled with natural light. Students have embraced this building, as reflected in consistently high daily usage across a range of study styles. The building has exceeded our expectations beyond its functional success as a place-making outcome, creating a welcoming destination where the students and the wider Swinburne community come together to learn and connect."
Resonate Consultants, Acoustic Consultant
Ed Linacre, Lighting designer
Umow + Wooster, AV Consultant
RBS Melbourne, Building Surveyor
TTW, Civil Consultant
Matter Consulting Engineers, Structural Engineer
Wilde & Woollard, Quantity Surveyor
WRAP Engineering, Services Consultant
Focused Fire, Fire Engineering
Studio Semaphore, Wayfinding Consultant