The Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education is a facility with joint Commonwealth and Territory funding located in the town of Batchelor, approximately 100km south of Darwin on the road to Litchfield National Park.

The Institute approached us to design a building on the campus to accommodate offices for the academic research staff and an ‘e- learning laboratory’ for in- house computer projection based teaching and two way video communication for remote teaching, The building budget was set at two million.

Through discussion with management and staff, the brief evolve into a predominantly open plan office precinct and a conference room that could be subdivided into individual classrooms for ‘e-learning’. There was also a request that classrooms open to covered outdoor’ break out’ areas. A foyer space between the office reception and e-learning classrooms provides for holding/ waiting and public display.

The low lying site was raised and the building is located adjacent to the existing library building for possible interaction. The building is fully insulated with a north- south orientation to reduce air- conditioning load.

Folding south orientation to reduce air- conditioning load. Folding window walls below verandah roofs at the  classrooms open to allow natural ventilation during the less humid dry season. The building is linked to the campus covered way system for access during the wet season.

Client: Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education