Excitement building for Arts Precinct move

In April the Faculty will move into our new Arts Precinct, a world-class facility built to foster collaboration and showcase the Faculty’s diverse strengths and achievements. The success of this vision is up to all of us in the Faculty to embrace the possibilities of the new space. Here’s how some of your colleagues are planning to make the most of the Arts Precinct.

Nick Galea, Industry Engagement Manager:

"I’m excited about the opportunities with the new public spaces and how we can use them to engage with current and future partners.  The Readers and Writers Lounge, the intercultural foyer and the Function rooms in particular will be great spaces to showcase our people and their work with the outside world."

Professor Ray Laurence, Head of Department of Ancient History:

The Readers and Writers Lounge will showcase HDR work and Faculty publications, and host book launches and informal meetings.

Professor Martin Bommas, Director of the Macquarie University History Museum:

Being together in one place as a unit is crucial for any faculty to function efficiently. The new Arts Precinct is designed to foster communication and exchange of ideas through its unique architecture and plenty of spaces to meet with students, colleagues and stakeholders. As with every new home it invites outside visitors as well: the crown jewel is certainly the museum space, with a display space of 450 sqm. Here we celebrate the Faculty's identity as a collaborative community and shape its future based on shared memories of the Australian past and ancient history.

Michael Rampe, Senior Learning Designer:

Building upon the 3D imaging expertise that has been developed in Faculty, being able to combine our museum space, our imaging technology (old and new) and many of our staff under one roof will allow for both accelerated and visible application to allow us to remain in the peloton of this teaching and research area.

Expertise from across the Faculty will combine to create interactive, modern and engaging displays in the world-class museum space.

Associate Professor Panos Vlachopoulos, Associate Dean Quality and Standards:

For me, our new building represents how we in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences see the world and how we navigate the world. Our new building is designed to inspire and showcase all the beautiful things that make us humans, from cultural spaces, museum, thinking and writing places, to collaborative spaces, innovation and digital labs, it will be a place you would love to immerse yourself in!

Associate Professor Ben Spies-Butcher, Head of Department of Sociology:

The Humanities and Social Sciences help societies understand who they are. The Arts Precinct creates a space where we can welcome the community into our work, to share our research and to work together to tackle the challenges we face. It expresses the heart of a university, shared knowledge and understanding.

The courtyard at the centre of the Precinct will be one of the many places to gather and share ideas.

Jan Zwar, Faculty Research Manager:

We in the Arts Research Office look forward to be located in the same building as many of the Faculty's researchers. Hopefully this will make for more serendipitous conversations about how the research projects are going, what's planned or hoped for and how we can assist.

Andy McNeill, Building Services Coordinator:

I have met and formed effective working relationships with more Faculty colleagues in the Hearing Hub's open plan environment over the last 2.5 years than in the 7 years prior. The various open plan areas of the new Arts Precinct will ensure this naturally occurring interaction and collaboration will continue. Equally as important, the new Precinct provides some much needed private (and quiet) office space, which I know not everyone has had access to since our move out of W6A. Apparently all good things come to those who wait, and it feels like we've waited long enough - bring it on!

Plentiful formal and informal shared spaces will provide opportunities for collaboration and chance encounters.