Fact Sheet
From Blueprint to Landmark – The Kaurna building
In 2000 the University of South Australia announced a bold plan to revitalise facilities for staff and
students. In addition to major capital works, the plan included a strategic reshaping of program
offerings at five of the University’s campuses.
The capital works program was dubbed Blueprint 2005 and became a core part of the University’s
evolution as a modern and diverse institution, providing high quality education for students at home
and abroad.
Today the $100 million investment in that blueprint has delivered landmark buildings at UniSA’s two
city campuses and in the north at Mawson Lakes campus.
Architect
Wardle + Hassell Architects in Association
Builder
Built Environs
Opening
The Kaurna building was officially opened by Dr Lowitja O’Donahue on Tuesday 26 April 2005.
Kaurna
The Adelaide Plains of South Australia is home to the Kaurna people and the naming of this significant
building in their honour is a gesture of respect to the traditional owners of the land and to their living culture.
Facts about the project
At a cost of some $17 million, the Blueprint 2005 plan for City West included the construction of the Kaurna
building. Home to the South Australian School of Art and the Louis Laybourne Smith School of Architecture
and Design, the four level building accommodates teaching studios, a major gallery space and other areas for
student exhibitions and displays, alongside office and administration areas. The presence of the building
consolidates the two schools on the one campus for the first time and significantly adds to the City West
campus, which up until now has predominantly been a business campus.
Students and staff
The Kaurna building houses more than 600 students and 50 staff from the South Australian School of Art.
This includes 400 visual communication students (graphic design, illustration design & honours), 150 first year
visual art (specialisation) students and around 32 postgraduate students. It also accommodates more than 150
students and 30 staff from the Louis Laybourne Smith School of Architecture and Design including first year
industrial design students, final year architecture and interior architecture students, and postgraduate students.
Innovation and environment
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A fully glazed transparent frontage facing Hindley Street enables the public to see activity in the
building and in turn makes a public and lively contribution to the West End precinct.
The gallery uses panels hung from tracks in the ceiling, offering flexibility of the arrangement of the
space.
All studios allow flexible use and can be remodelled to suit changing student activities by opening
interconnecting doors
Large glass tilt-up doors open the ground floor studios to al fresco work areas
The Louis Laybourne Smith School’s Australian Architectural Archives now have a publicly accessible
home with catalogue, viewing and study areas for visitors to access the archives.
For the first time, the two schools’ offices and staff areas are situated on either side of the second
floor, promoting future collaborations.
Academic staff areas have been designed as open plan workstations, encouraging staff collaboration
and interaction.
Offices are provided with breakout areas where staff and students can meet and work in an open and
collegial environment.
A wireless network has been provided in all student spaces, allowing students to work electronically
and on-line in their studios.
Building services connected to timer switches and/or controlled by the University wide Building
Management System (BMS) as an energy saving initiative
A specialised architectural model making area features extensive glazing, providing and maximising
natural light
There will be bridges at level 5 connecting the Barbara Hanrahan and the Kaurna building to the soon
to be constructed new building housing the Chancellery, Art Museum/Civic Gallery, Hawke
Centre/Library, Lecture Theatre/Forum and Seminar/Teaching spaces.
The Level 5 terrace provides a unique social space for students and staff with amazing city views
What’s new
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The new School of Art Gallery on the ground floor provides exhibition space for staff, students and
graduates and will also be utilised as a teaching and learning resource for students seeking curatorial
professional practice. The current exhibition, Art Year Zero, by UniSA graduate Andrew Best, has
been curated around the theme of creativity and fundamental change.
There are also many spaces and areas to display work such as big glass cabinets, windows
connecting studios and teaching spaces, as well as areas for presentations and smaller exhibitions.
The School of Art Visual Communication Consultancy business (on the fourth floor) now has its own
modern offices and administration area.
The School of Architecture and Design has a state-of-the-art Digital Lab where students model their
designs in a 3D computer environment
Construction Facts
(City West campus – Kaurna and Dorrit Black buildings and the library extension)
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Approximately 5,700 cubic metres of concrete was poured
About 1,000 people were employed on the project (approximately 120 people per month)
13 local manufacturers supplied materials for the project.
2,900 cubic metres of glass covers the exterior of the two buildings
4,600 litres of paint was used
75 km of computer cabling has been used