Future Campus

The Future Campus project helps UNSW understand how our space needs have changed – and how they will continue to change in the future.
The program looks at what UNSW needs from its campuses in the coming years, from world-class learning and teaching spaces and research infrastructure to modern offices and outdoor campus areas.
This work helps UNSW make the best use of its assets to attract students, staff, partners and communities into the future.
The Future Campus program also informs the University’s next Campus Development Plan and Asset Management Plan – long-term strategies that will guide how we renew, upgrade and manage our spaces to support future generations.
Future Campus Pillars and Space Principles
Four working groups, made up of representatives across UNSW faculties and divisions, guided the project under four pillars:
Education & Student Experience
Research & Entrepreneurial Campus
Workspace
Campus Experience
These groups developed a set of high-level Space Principles that reflect UNSW’s shared goals for designing and developing future campus spaces. The principles were submitted for consultation in July 2024 and later approved by the University’s leadership team. They now inform more detailed guidelines, which are being applied to new capital projects and shaping the University’s broader space strategies.
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This pillar focuses on spaces that support both formal and informal learning across the student journey. It includes areas for in-person and digital education, as well as specialised teaching.
Key spaces include:
Teaching spaces (e.g., centrally allocated teaching spaces (CATS), and specialist teaching areas like makerspaces, laboratories, and studios.
Student-led spaces and spaces that support education.
Online teaching hubs and student support hubs (Nucleus)
Libraries and education co-op.
Student experience incorporates the undergraduate, postgraduate, short course, life-long learning, alumni and future student cohorts.
Note: HDR students will be covered in Research and Workspace working group. Student accommodation is guided by a separate strategy.
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This pillar focuses on spaces designed to support specialist research, partnerships and industry collaboration.
Key spaces include:
Research areas containing specialised equipment (e.g., wet lab research laboratories.
Spaces allocated through agreements, leases, or industry partnerships as part of the Entreprenurial Campus.
Shared or parnerted spaces located off-site but linked to UNSW through Precincts.
Specialist facilities used by higher degree research (HDR) students.
Note: Office and workstation areas are included in the Workspace pillar.
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This pillar covers spaces that support where people work across the University.
Key spaces include:
Workspaces for academic staff, professional staff, visiting staff and HDR students.
Informal and formal meeting rooms.
Breakout areas, kitchens and other support spaces that enable day-to-day work.
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This pillar focuses on the overall campus experience – across both indoor and outdoor spaces – for students, staff and the wider community.
Key themes include:
Accessibility and inclusivity
Cultural inclusion and Indigenous perspectives
Events and activation
Safety and wellbeing
Note: Retail and leasing spaces are subject to a separate retail strategy.
Current work

Pilot studies
Pilot studies
The Future Campus team is using pilot studies to test ideas, gather feedback, and guide future planning. These pilots help ensure that our new spaces reflect how we want to work, teach, research, and experience campus life in the future.
The team is collaborating with internal working groups, external specialists and key stakeholders to identify and deliver pilot opportunities.
Current pilot studies for workspace include:
- Health Translation Hub due for delivery in October 2025
- UNSW Press/Library workspace

Space Principles and Guidelines
Space Principles and Guidelines
Working groups made up of representatives from across faculties and divisions developed the approved Space Principles and Guidelines for each of the four pillars.
These discussions were informed by:
Guided tours of spaces at UNSW and other universities
Literature reviews and space-related data
Focus groups and targeted student surveys
Early engagement with stakeholders involved in pilot projects
The principles and guidelines will be reviewed annually, with lessons learned from consultation and other projects incorporated in future updates. Â
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