University landscapes are being reinvented. Once defined by the mediative calm of the cloister, they are now seeking new ways to engage in the life of the city. In an age of online and off campus learning, university landscapes are now playing a critical role in both attracting and retaining staff and students and fostering meaningful engagement, conversation and participation.

The design for Monash University’s Caulfield Campus encourages staff, students and visitors to revel in the dynamism of University culture. Its promenades, lawns, terraces and active field encouraging many ways to study, socialise, recreate or be nourished. The design builds upon the distinctively intimate feel of the campus to encourage a ‘fertile ground’ for the exchange of ideas, socialisation, imagination, reflection and reverie; a setting for the cultivation of the mind and body.

The new event lawn and associated terrace is now the centrepiece to the campus. The slightly sunken lawn is a platform for organised events, throughout the year as well as green respite from the busy road network beyond the campus doors. The elegant deck terrace with a northerly aspect offers opportunities for passive outdoor activity, cafe tables, chairs and spill out activity from adjacent buildings. Jacaranda trees within the decking provide dappled shade and a distinct identity for the campus.

An integrated artwork by Agatha Gothe Snape and TCL entitled, The Scheme was a Blueprint for Future Development Programs creates a large line drawing across the centre of the campus with multiple functions, a sports court for basketball and table tennis, as well as an activity zone for other temporal kinds of exercise, such as discovering personality types, refining teamwork skills, and practicing mindfulness. What was once a confusing road and carpark is now a generous promenade and waterfeature providing a real sense of arrival to the campus. The central water spine acts as a stormwater treatment and harvesting system, tells the story of Monash University’s pioneering research on water sensitive cities and references the original wetlands that occupied the area.

Studying on the sundeck

Integral landscaping and lighting design for Monash University's Caulfield campus

A water feature, a bright blue sports ground, at the other end a platform with a beautiful pavilion, and lawns, benches and wooden decks everywhere – Monash University's Caulfield campus in Melbourne, Australia, is tough competition for the lecture halls and seminar rooms. However,it is actually very much in tune with the times, where studying online is also possible. The campus is no longer expected to be a secluded, quiet place of learning; it must also offer room for interaction, activities and dialogue. Luminaires from WE-EF on Caulfield campus ensure that all this is also possible after dark.

Cooperative planning creates special solutions

The landscape architects from TCL – Taylor Cullity Lethlean – completely redesigned the old Caulfield Campus,including the former car park site. This project was so successful that the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) awarded the VIC Urban Design Award of Excellence to the project.

Lighting designers from Electrolight were involved in the planning process from an early stage. This can be seen in theparticularly close interlinking of the design of the park and the lighting concept. An example of the consistent integration of the lighting withthe environment is the lighting solution for the sports ground, which incidentallyis not just an area with basketball and badminton courts and table tennis tables; it has been given an artistic makeover by Agatha Gothe Snape.

"Sports ground lighting is usually characterised by four poles positioned in the corners", says Jess Perry, director of Electrolight. "But here we departed from this traditional approach and implemented a more theatrical lighting effect instead of conventional flood lighting for the area, featuring graphic elements and lettering." WE-EF FLC141 LED projectors with snoots have beenused. They are fitted on clearly inclined poles that– like the projectors – are painted in the blue of the flooring. With their different aiming angles and arranged offset to one another, the luminaires in this area not only ensure good visual conditions; they also become a decorative styling element themselves.

Safe guidance, good orientation

In contrast, the general lighting chosen for the campus has a stronger focus on functional aspects with sustainability – an important subject in teaching and research at Monash University – as a further priority. The designers decided to use RFL530 LED street and area lighting luminaires along the main path. One pole holds two luminaires. Those that illuminate the path have asymmetric 'side throw' distribution, while the luminaires directed at the adjoining areas, lawns and terraces are fitted with [A60] lenses that give symmetric 'forward throw' distribution. Supplementing them, FLC121 LED projectors fitted unobtrusively on the parapet of the surrounding buildings illuminate smaller side paths on the campus.

A warm glow at the pavilion

A large part of the campus is taken up by an expansive lawn that is used for various events throughout the year. The Caulfield Sound Shell at its edge is a stage-like platform for performances in many different genres and formats. The pavilion was built in 2014 as a joint project between Monash University and Kunsthochschule Kassel. It consists of more than 12,000 CNC and robot-manufactured parts, no two of which are the same. Its special material and surface structure is illuminated by ETC300 inground luminaires from WE-EF. The result is the warm, glowing Sound Shell that is a popular meeting place even when no events are being held. Further variants of the ETC300 LED inground series add lighting accents around the whole campus on selected trees as well as marking contours, zone areas and highlighting details. They are fitted with a large range of optical accessories, from wallwash to narrow, linear lenses.