Latelab and student hub

Work has begun on Swinburne’s new Latelab and student hub, providing secure space on campus for students to study and interact.

To be constructed by redeveloping the 27 John St building opposite the Library at out Hawthorn campus, this space has been co-created with students through a series of workshops, surveys, polls and on-campus pop ups throughout 2023.

Melbourne-based architecture firm Kosloff Architecture was appointed last year to lead the design process for the new Latelab and student hub, and construction firm arete Australia are bringing the design to life.

The new Latelab and student hub part of our next gen_campus transformation, elevating the student experience and ensuring our campuses meet the needs and expectations of contemporary vocational and higher education students. It is expected to be ready for students to use in 2025.

An artists' impression of the new Latelab and student hub, with plenty of space for students to collaborate and study. Image: Kosloff Architecture.

Your new favourite spot on campus

Swinburne’s new Latelab and student hub will provide students with secure, 24-hour spaces to work and study on campus.

The new hub will be developed across the four floors of the 27 John St building opposite the Library.

Students will be able to make use of accessible kitchen, common room and dining spaces, with almost 20 per cent more capacity to work and study than is currently offered at the existing Latelab and Atrium. 

An artists' impression of the student kitchen and outdoor terrace in the new Latelab and student hub. Image: Kosloff Architecture.

By students, for students

The functional usage and design options of the new Latelab and student hub have been informed by the input of students on everything from layout, types of spaces and interior styling options.

In addition to a series of collaborative co-creation workshops, thousands of students had their say through polls and surveys, ensuring the new space is representative of the expectations and needs of all students. 

Light and sound were key themes that came up during the collaborative design process, with experience in the current Latelab providing a foundation for improvements to be realised in the new space.

The space will be developed with the aim of making the space welcoming, accessible and functional for all students.

Students who participated in the co-creation of the new development were particularly interested in ways to segment quiet and collaborative learning and study spaces to ensure there are opportunities for a variety of uses in the building.

The provision of mixed use seating and access to charging ports are also key suggestions reflected in the designs.

Students take part in a workshop to co-create the new Latelab and student hub.

Building a next gen Latelab and student hub

The team from arete Australia have been on campus from late February to prepare for construction to begin this month.

Construction fencing was erected around the 27 John Street building in early March, with construction work commencing later that month.

Swinburne Chief Operations Officer Nancy Collins said this is an exciting milestone, not only for for the next gen_campus transformation but for Swinburne’s commitment to sustainability.

“As an adaptive re-use project, we will be working with existing materials to reduce negative impacts on the environment and promote the health and comfort of our students in a way that improves building performance and amenity,” she said.

“Sustainability is not only a priority for us, but it is clearly top of mind for our students too. Through the co-creation process, our students spoke about the need to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, lower waste and create a productive, healthy, and sustainable environment.”

Like any major construction project, Swinburne is  working to mitigate impacts and will share updates on our website, the Swinburne app, our social media, and via on campus signage.

As you pass the construction site (27J building opposite the Library), peep through the viewing windows to see the design we co-created with students begin to take shape!