The N2 space was jointly commissioned by the Faculty of Business & Economics and the eEducation Centre at Monash University, as a prototype learning environment. The faculty wanted to encourage an experimental approach to work and learning, enabled by embedded digital technology.
Our design approach is always collaborative, so the outcomes evolved out of a prolonged process of creation, elimination and negotiation. With the stakeholders we set out to explore the possibilities of trans-active space, based on the premise that a mutually transformative relationship can only emerge between the occupant and their environment, when that relationship is no longer passive.
The conceptual generator for this project became a space of negotiation, one that promoted interaction and awareness of others; as much to do with the physical properties of the space, as it was the intellectual activities it supported.
N2 was designed for future adaptation, being entirely pre-fabricated off-site. Material selection was finally determined by its suitability for assembly/disassembly, meaning that future technological or teaching needs can be accommodated without destroying the existing fabric of the space.
A highly commended, national finalist in the Australian Interior Design Awards, the N2 protospace has been used by many faculties who wish to experiment with alternative teaching techniques and the use of new communication tools. The outcomes of these experiments have informed more effective design briefs for larger projects across the university.
(Photography: Dianna Snape)
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LearningDate:
June 13, 2018