University Technology of Sydney - National First Nations College

The UTS National First Nations college will transform Indigenous culture by providing a space that supports cultural safety, and evokes an Indigenous presence - communicating Indigenous culture and its values to the world. This project aims to create a college with an organic lifeform, representing the cultural heart of the UTS Campus through connectivity, sustainability and identity. Located within the University of Sydney’s (UTS) Ultimo Campus, the college adaptively reuses the heritage-listed National Cash Registers building. The building plan recognises its neighbour, the Chau Chak Wing Building, introducing a dynamic public space that respects its heritage and creates new pathways through the campus. A new precinct heart is created at ground level, fostering connections to Country, community, and student life. The ground floor hosts a vibrant mix: a knowledge hub, gallery, and Indigenous co-working spaces. Within the heritage building, co-working galleries showcase Indigenous culture as hosts, not guests. The prominent knowledge hub ensures Indigenous wisdom permeates every corner. The roof of the heritage building creates a spacious extended social area, bridging sky and earth - dissolving architecture to the ground plane. Designed for comfort and connectivity, the college feels like a home, offering diverse spaces for interaction through to areas of respite. Seamless flow from bedrooms to social areas enhances this layering experience. Vertical student neighbourhoods encourage interaction within intimate clusters and provide a direct connection to external areas across all levels of the project. Clear sustainability strategies include an optimised hybrid timber structure; regenerative water practices; breathable facade design; local resilient materials; thermal mass; passive ventilation and biophilia - contributing to a holistic approach that ensures the college not only functions but thrive as a living, breathing community hub. The resulting design is an authentic embodiment of Indigenous design thinking. Infused with nuanced cultural references and evoking the colours of Country, it will enable a new generation to succeed in tertiary education. The UTS National First Nations College will be a national trailblazer, an exemplar mode of inclusivity, leadership and global excellence.