Bruce & Wright Hall (ANU SA6)

Dowse Projects provided Project Management services on behalf of the ANU for the delivery of Bruce & Wright Hall, which reopens University Avenue to the north in line with the original Walter Burley Griffin-designed axis, while retaining a historical connection to Bruce Hall through a reimagining of its community spaces, dining facilities and spatial relationships.

The development houses 800 students across two independent colleges, with rooms designed to accommodate flexibility and personalisation of living zones, allowing students to arrange beds and desks to suit individual preferences. All rooms feature external balconies and large sliding doors that provide an abundance of natural light and ventilation, while the courtyard building typology ensures every student has access to significant green space and landscaped views across campus to Black Mountain.

Major common spaces are arranged through a vertical village connecting upper floors, with double-height zones and internal stair access supporting the communal and social aspects of college life. Each building includes a 400-seat dining hall at ground floor, connected to the internal college courtyards, with both dining halls serviced by a single kitchen located beneath University Avenue.