September 2022 Volume 6, Issue 3 THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF APSAA STUDENT ACCOMMODATION PP324494/0062 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Student Accommodation September 2022 CONTENTS3Contents FEATURES A Leader’s Perspective: Why Sustainability is Important! 14 Sustainable Approach to Student Accommodation Design 16 Insights and case studies from Deakin University’s ambitious push toward sustainability 20 Students making small contributions on environmental projects often set the example for the rest of us 24 Sustaining Commonwealth Heritage listed buildings 26 ACUHO-I South African Green Campuses Conference at a glance 29 What are the DevelopmentSustainableGoals? 31 APSAA HOME OFFICE PO Box 7345 Beaumaris VIC 3193 T: 03 9586 6055 F: 03 9586 6099 E: admin@apsaa.org.au ADVERTISING APSAA Office T: +61 3 9586 6055 E: manager@apsaa.org.au DESIGNER Perry Watson Design DISCLAIMER This journal is copyright and all rights are reserved. Apart from any use as permitted under the copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission. All reasonable efforts have been made to obtain permission to use copyright material reproduced. Every effort has been made to obtain accurate information for this publication. The views expressed in this journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of APSAA. 8 24 20 NEWS President’s Welcome 4 From the Editor 5 Industry Movements 5 APSAA Aotearoa Update 6 APSAA Asia Update 8 Professional Development Committee Update 11 APSAA Board Update 12 2022/23 APSAA Committees 13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY Australia: APSAA acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s continuing connection to lands, waters and communities; and we pay our respect to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present and emerging. Aotearoa | New Zealand: APSAA honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi as Aotearoa | New Zealand’s founding document and recognises the special place of Māori in Aotearoa as mana whenua. Cover: ©gettyimages.com.au/elenabs
I personally relish the opportunity to speak with school leavers and their parents when possible. It is such a crucial time filled with excitement and enthusiasm when they talk about what they are wanting to study for their future and more often they speak of how much they want to be a part of residential communities.
Our September feature editions are fast becoming a firm favourite as they do a deep delve into topics that affect us all and that as an industry, we can learn so much from and implement actions that truly make a difference in our respective communities.
Iam thrilled to be writing this introduction knowing that we are just days away from coming together in person at our annual conference. The program is full of wonderful opportunities for personal development, member presentations and of course networking with friends and colleagues. Aside from this APSAA will be launching our 2023 – 2027 strategic plan ‘Foundations for the Future’ as well as some exciting announcements for professional development in 2023 and of course the much-anticipated excellence awards dinner! As we hurtle toward the end of this year, many of us are busy with open days, leadership recruitment and training, applications and offers as we plan for 2023 and beyond. I personally relish the opportunity to speak with school leavers and their parents when possible. It is such a crucial time filled with excitement and enthusiasm when they talk about what they are wanting to study for their future and more often they speak of how much they want to be a part of residential communities. So many truly believe that living in student accommodation will deliver the best overall university experience and opportunity for long term success which is a credit to all the professionals in our industry that work tirelessly to create safe, inclusive and engaging communities.
Welcome to the September edition of Student Accommodation
Best Marionwishes,
Marion Bayley APSAA President; CEO, ResidentialDeakinServices
4 www.apsaa.org.au NEWS
Welcome
I would like to congratulate the Communications and Engagement subcommittee on pulling together such a wonderful edition focussed on sustainability from across our region and beyond. I hope that you enjoy reading this edition as much as I did.
President’s
Student Accommodation September 2022 NEWS5INDUSTRY MOVEMENTS UniLodgeAOTEAROACanterbury: • Kimberley Fuller appointed Community Manager • Chantelle Shand appointed Residential Life Manager • Victoria Thornton and Evan Moran appointed Property Managers Operations • Holly O’Donnell, Cydnee Bowen, Shirley Zhao and Md Arafat Hasan appointed Customer Services Coordinators • Debraj Mukherjee, George Christensen and Francis Kokiri appointed Night Managers University of Otago: • Tala Fagasoaia appointed Assistant Warden –Studholme College Victoria University of Wellington: • Caleb Binns appointed Deputy Head of Hall, Capital Hall • Mataio Viliamu appointed Head of Hall, Boulcott Hall • Janell Vaughn appointed Manager Student Living, Eastern Halls • Tolly Auva’a appointed Executive Director, Victoria House Wintec Accommodation Services (Student Residence Trust Aotearoa) • Sarah-Jane McLennan promoted to Business Manager • Cole Barker appointed to Residential Services Manager AUSTRALIA • Gayle Allan has moved from the role of Provost at St John’s College, UQ to Little Hall in Melbourne. • Reece Attrill has been promoted to Operations Manager, Scape South Bank From EditortheWelcometoaveryspecialeditionoftheStudentAccommodationJournalfocusingonsustainability!Septemberisourfeaturejournaloftheyear,startingin2021withthefirstjournalonIndigenousstudentsupport,wearecarryingonthenewtraditionbyfocusingonthisveryimportanttopic.TheAgenda2030–ratifiedin2015attheUnitedNations(UN)–isanagendadesignedtotransformourworld.Itisbasedon17SustainableDevelopmentGoalswhich,asformerUNSecretary-GeneralBanKi-moonexplained,area“roadmaptoendingglobalpoverty,buildingalifeofdignityforallandleavingnoonebehind.Itisalsoaclarioncalltoworkinpartnershipandintensifyeffortstoshareprosperity,empowerpeople’slivelihoods,ensurepeaceandhealourplanetforthebenefitofthisandfuturegenerations.”Highereducationisakeyaspectofachievingthegoalsandstudentaccommodationthehomeformanymoversandshakersoftodayandtomorrow.Wehopeyougleansomeinspirationfromthisjournalforhowyourorganisationscansupportasustainablefuture,orideasofinitiativesonhowyoucaninspireresidentstobeactiveandeducatedinthisspace.Maioha–regards,JacobWaitere|Editor
Kia ora koutou katoa | hello
Jacob Waitere Chair –UniLodgeCanterburyGeneralVice-President;committee;andCommunicationsAPSAAEngagementAPSAAManager-Portfolio everyone,
This correction is to the article ‘Enhancing Wellbeing Strategies and Mental Health Conversations in University Residential Communities’ by Ashley Gurney, Managing Director and Founder, Alcohol and Drug Education Specialists (ADES), published In the June 2022 edition of Student Accommodation.
CORRECTION
An error was made during the editing process which resulted in the published article stating that ADES “developed the nationally accredited Mental Health First Aid course (MHFA)” when it should have said ADES staff “deliver the nationally accredited Mental Health First Aid course (MHFA)”. This error was made by APSAA’s home office staff and APSAA apologise for the error. The published wording was not the wording that was submitted for publication.
Jacob Waitere Chair, Canterbury,GeneralAPSAAAdvisoryAotearoaGroup;Vice-President;Manager,UniLodge
Aotearoa Update
6 www.apsaa.org.au NEWS
Kia Ora Koutou Katoa Can you believe it! We are two thirds of the way through the year. Pastoral care and knowing our students are well has been the key theme dominating universities and accommodation providers in New Zealand. Not only is this a response to the Code of Practice for the pastoral care for tertiary and international learners, but also in response to a society that is changing because of the pandemic.
The impact of two years of lockdown on our new students has been felt in the academic and social responses from our new students. As the first semester/trimester results start to roll in, universities across the country are reporting that academic performance has dropped. Students reporting that they felt unprepared for tertiary self-directed study, online exams, and the pressure of performing following special considerations and grade bumps previously. We also have seen an increase in mental health concerns, social anxiety, and delayed transition into independence as students didn’t have the traditional interactions in their final years of high school. All of these point to some rocky years as we support students in developing resilience and skills they need to be self-sufficient adults. With an eye on the future, this journal is focusing on the theme of sustainability. This is an area tertiary education providers and accommodation have focused on for a long time with some success.
The whakataukī “Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata. Haere whakamua” – Care of land, care for people. Go forward! Comes to mind. In our context we can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through our research, teaching, engagement, and operations. When we look at The Impact Rankings for 2022, seven of the eight New Zealand universities featured in the top 85, with Auckland and Canterbury in the top 50. Waipapa Taumata Rau - The University of Auckland is also part of the United Nations Academic Impact, an initiative that aims to align tertiary institutions to contribute to realising the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, by being a hub for SDG 4 Quality Education.
| Vice-President & NZ rep
Student Accommodation September 2022 NEWS7In 2019, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington translated the UN SDGs into Te Reo Māori. “The act of translating the SDGs affords a contextual lens through which we can navigate our progression to a more sustainable future together as New Zealanders,” says Tonya Sweet, Senior Lecturer in Design for Social Innovation at the University’s School of Design. Operationally we have seen accommodation providers implement a number of initiatives to support a more equitable and sustainable future. These initiatives have included: • Green teams of student voice groups to lead developments and communication • Landfill diversion through donations and recycling • Worms to support food waste diversion form landfill • Tree planting • Donating to charities instead of buying wasteful prizes • New policies and procedures • Focusing on indigenous practices • Education in online inductions and RA meetings • Communication campaigns • Water flow restrictors and timers in showers • Lighting, heating, and building upgrades • And much more! With an eye on the future, this journal is focusing on the theme of sustainability. This is an area tertiary education providers and accommodation have focused on for a long time with some success.
Mauri Jacobora,Waitere
© 2022 Convera Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Convera is a global leader in providing foreign exchange products and services and payment solutions and does business in Australia through Western Union Business Solutions (Australia) Pty Limited trading as Convera (“Convera”) ABN 24 150 129 749 and AFSL 404092. Convera accepts payments and provides foreign exchange services on behalf of its educational institution clients and not as a payment service provider for student payors. Convera is not affiliated with The Western Union Company and plans to change its name to Convera Australia Pty Ltd in 2022. The Western Union Company or its affiliates own all rights in the Western Union name. V-22-0117-2022-06 Simple, fast and affordable ways to pay accommodation fees Easily track and manage your international residents’ Streamlinepaymentsreconciliation and reporting Simplify payments for your international students Scan to find out more
Finally, we welcome all of our members to join us in Ōtautahi | Christchurch for the APSAA Aotearoa Summit. Held on the 6th of December, with a half day study tour the day before on the 5th, this is an excellent opportunity to reconnect in person, see some new accommodation developments and share knowledge. Registrations will be open until late November, with accommodation provided on campus too. Check your emails for more information.
A S I A N REGI O AN S IAN REG I O N
• Strengthening the Student Food Bank initiative,
The Committee agreed on and is committed to several key actions including:
• Creating a Students’ Food Basket initiative where key food item prices on-campus are capped at RM3.50,
In the previous Asia Update segment, we looked at inflationary pressure on general prices caused by the Ukrainian conflict, shortage of manpower, as well as the rise in minimum wages in 2022. The significant increase in the prices of goods and services has not only impacted operational costs for student accommodation providers in Malaysia but also students’ living costs, especially those from the bottom 40% (B40) of Malaysian society. This led to some actions taken by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE).
In addition, a Student Subsistence Action Committee was stablished on July 12 and its membership is comprised of MoHE’s top management, public universities’ vice-chancellors, private universities’ associations chairmen as well as representatives from the National Student Consultative Council.
Cafeteria Photo Credits: Universiti Teknologi Petronas
• Coordinating and standardising wage rates under the Jobs on Campus programme,
• Developing a Student Subsistence Action Plan,
In early July 2022, MoHE announced that on-campus food stall operators at public institutions of higher learning will be given rent moratorium for six months with the objective of lowering operating costs of the food stall operators. It is hoped that this move will enable the food stall operators to maintain their current prices to minimize the impact on students’ cost of living.
• Increasing the frequency of transport schedules with public university campuses.
• Providing six months’ of rental exemptions for cafeteria operators and food service providers at public university campuses,
• Establishing a Student Living Cost Monitoring Team which will carry out continuous monitoring of prices of goods and services which involves students living on-campus
8 www.apsaa.org.au NEWS APSAA Asia Update
Rental Waiver for Food Operators
Daniel Lee APSAA MalaysiaPurpleDirector,Member;BoardTheHouse,
Student Subsistence Action Committee
• Granting rebates or tax exemptions to contributors who channel sponsorships in various forms, and
Updates on Higher Education
Inaugural APSAA Asia Event – Malaysia 2022
MoHE also recently found that more than 30,000 students in public universities nationwide have dropped out since the pandemic began in early 2021 until the end of 2021. This is mainly due to students’ health or personal issues, failing in exams or failure to enrol for subjects. The dropout rate represents between 2% - 3% of the total number of enrolled students in public universities in both 2020 and 2021. In response, MoHE has been working on providing aid to public university students by preparing facilities and financial aid to targeted groups, especially those from the B40 segment as well as academic intervention programmes and non-academic programmes, including counselling, motivational programmes and mentorships, to encourage public university students to complete their studies. and leverage in student accommodation in the Asia-Pacific region. The attendees were introduced to APSAA and the benefits of joining APSAA and a three-member panel discussed the upcoming challenges and opportunities faced by the Malaysian student accommodation industry as well as rising costs, manpower issues, rental pressures and student support in the post-pandemic period.
The panel members were drawn from the three major segments of the Malaysian higher education sector- a public university (Universiti Utara Malaysia), a government-linked university, Universiti Teknologi Petronas), and private universities (The Purple House/Sunway Education Group/Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur).
Universiti Utara Malaysia Campus Photo Credits: Google Sites
30,000 Students Dropped Out During Pandemic
Dr Nur Azura A. Rahman Universiti Utara Malaysia Saravanan Muthiah Universiti Teknologi Petronas Sri Velan The Purple House
Student Accommodation September 2022 NEWS9…continued next page
The dropout rate represents between 2% – 3% of the total number of enrolled students in public universities in both 2020 and 2021.
The three panel members were Dr Nor Azura A. Rahman, Principal of Bank Rakyat Residential College, from Universiti Utara Malaysia, Mr Saravanan A/L Muthiah, Senior Director of the Centre for Student Experience from Universiti Teknologi Petronas, and Mr Sri Velan, Director of Facilities Management from The Purple House/Sunway Education Group/Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur.
The inaugural APSAA Asia event took place on 29 June 2022 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 23 attendees from nine on-campus student accommodation providers from public universities, government-linked universities as well as private universities attended the event. This is the first APSAA faceto-face networking event in Asia, in line with APSAA’s strategic plan on leadership, learning,
After the panel discussion, attendees also had the opportunity to participate in a study tour to two residence buildings –Nook Co-Living and Waterfront Residence where they were taken for a tour of show units as well as communal facilities. Overall, the first APSAA event in Malaysia was a success which not only brought together professionals from institutions representing the three major segments of the Malaysian higher education sector to network and keep abreast on the latest issues in the industry, but also generated awareness and interest in APSAA as well.
For those who are unfamiliar with Malaysia’s higher education scene, the public universities are wholly government—owned and funded—they represent the majority of enrolled domestic students, but mainly from the bottom 40% of Malaysian society. Government-linked universities are not directly owned by the government but are usually owned by government-controlled entities such as Petronas (the national oil company) or Tenaga Nasional (the national energy company). Private universities are owned and run by private entities and not operationally funded by the government.
All three panellists shared their views from their unique vantage point of the challenges facing the local student accommodation industry - and the general theme of the discussions is that there are big changes coming in the industry due to overall rising costs and severe manpower shortage issues, with flow-on impacts on future rental pricing. The Malaysian student accommodation providers will need to prepare themselves to adapt for the future in creative ways.
Attendees at the Inaugural APSAA Asia Event, Malaysia 2022
Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur Students Photo Credits: Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur
10 www.apsaa.org.au NEWS Continued from previous page APSAA Asia Update
Student Accommodation September 2022NEWS11
For anyone who has attended the conference previously, there have been great ice breakers and games to encourage meeting new people. Looking forward to seeing what is in store for us this year. While other parts of our region have had the opportunity to hold a networking function, Queensland has not. As I am based in Queensland, we are looking forward to planning a catch up very soon. I know I will be using that opportunity to gather feedback on what my Queensland colleagues would like to see in the PD space going forward. Our association is only as good as the members who are part of it, so please feel free to reach out at any time with feedback, ideas and suggestions. We are all so busy with the return of students to our residences, we often forget about the great work achieved every day in our respective workplaces to deliver a supportive and exceptional student experience. This makes great content for contributions for the APSAA newsletter and the APSAA journal. If you would like to share your ideas, please youLookingcommunication@apsaa.org.auemailforwardtoseeingattheconference!
A few people have asked how to get the most out of the conference, as often there are conflicting sessions and people can’t decide on one. I like to plan the conference and review all the sessions at the start of Day One. I usually select subjects that I know little about, so I can broaden my mind to new subject matter. The other top tip is to meet and speak with as many different people as possible. Don’t just hang out with your work colleagues or people you know really well, there is plenty of time for that at the end of each conference day.
Professional Development Committee Update
As a new member of the APSAA board and Chair of the Professional Development (PD) Committee, I would like to start by thanking the board and committee for such a warm welcome, and to also acknowledge the great work done by Cameron Bestwick, the outgoing chair of the PD Committee. We have only had the opportunity to have one PD Committee meeting since I joined the board, and it was great to hear the passion and ideas from committee members. With our shared purpose of providing members with opportunities to develop skills to deliver an exceptional student experience, we are excited by the prospect of engaging more face-to-face. Our new strategy will be announced at the conference. Watch this space! As I write this, it is four weeks until the annual APSAA conference. I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to connecting with old friends and new, after a twoyear hiatus. The highlight of the professional development calendar, the annual conference, provides great learning opportunities that I can attest to, having attended the last five conferences. The agenda for this year’s conference includes a wonderful line up of guest speakers at the key plenary sessions, and many opportunities to share ideas, discuss latest development and innovation through the 20/20 Ignite sessions, and network with industry peers and major suppliers. With so many new faces in the student accommodation sector, what a great introduction to be able to attend the conference and learn from peers.
As a new member of the APSAA board and Chair of the Professional Development (PD) Committee, I would like to start by thanking the board and committee for such a warm welcome, and to also acknowledge the great work done by Cameron Bestwick, the outgoing chair of the PD Committee.
Sue Fergusson APSAA PD Committee Chair, QLD ScapeOperationsStateManager,
Richard Kendall Curtin University
12 www.apsaa.org.au NEWS APSAA Board Update Two casual vacancies have now been filled on the APSAA Board 2022/2023. We congratulate Simone Gallo, Australian Catholic University and Richard Kendall, Curtin University on their appointment to the APSAA Board 2022/2023. We also welcome Simone as a member of the Communications and Engagement Committee and Richard as a member of the Finance and Risk Committee. Simone Gallo Australian Catholic University
Martin Thomas
Tony Andres
Professional Development Committee
Simone Gallo Tara Baker
Shana Kerlander Areti Metuamate Misako Okawa
The Finance, Audit & Risk Committee led by Paterson Boyd, Emmanuel College, University of Queensland, is responsible for overseeing the Association’s budget, finance, and risk.
The Industry Advancement Committee (IAC) led by Rachel Overton, University of Canberra and Kate Stock, UniLodge Australia, strives to develop the Student Accommodation Industry through leadership, advocacy, and engagement.
Industry Advancement Committee
The Conference Committee is led by Jacob Waitere, General Manager – Canterbury Portfolio, UniLodge NZ, and is responsible for planning our annual conference.
The Communications & Engagement Committee led by Jacob Waitere, General Manager - Canterbury Portfolio, UniLodge NZ, is responsible for branding and marketing of Industry initiatives, as well as the Industry Journal, Student Accommodation, including sourcing articles, and providing editorial advice and ideas.
Conference Committee
Finance & Risk Committee
Paterson Boyd (Chair) Rachel Overton (Co-Chair)
Kate Stock
Wendy Fleming
Bradley Brown
Student Accommodation September 2022NEWS13
Sam Johnstone Melissa Leaupepe
Misako Okawa Abigail Spencer
The Aotearoa/New Zealand Advisory Group led by Jacob Waitere, General Manager – Canterbury Portfolio, UniLodge NZ, provides the APSAA Board with advice and guidance on issues involving the student accommodationprofession in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
The Professional Development Committee led by Sue Fergusson, Scape Australia, is responsible for planning and delivery of professional development events in each State/Territory, providing input on relevant themes and topics and sourcing speakers.
The 2022/23 Committee members are listed below.
Laura Roberts
Jacob Waitere (Chair)
Daniel Lee
Carolyn Mee
In June, the 2022/23 APSAA Board met for their first meeting to discuss next steps in progressing the APSAA Strategic Plan. Carrying out their directives are the APSAA Committees.
Richard Kendall
Alasdair Murrie-West
Areti Metuamate
Communications & Engagement Committee Aotearoa Advisory Group
Sue Fergusson (Chair) Jacob Waitere (Chair) Jacob Waitere (Chair)
Jack Thomson
Chelsae Moore
2022/23 APSAA Committees
Caty Li
Marion Bayley Marion Bayley Kate Stock (Co-Chair
Rachel Overton Abigail Spencer
Perspective: Why Sustainability is Important!
Johnny: By keeping them informed and equipping teams with the right tools.
Rose: In today’s changing environmental climate, we need eco-innovation and sustainable focus more than ever before and together we can do more than on our own. It is vital that we practice the key pillars of environment, society and governance (ESG) and learn how to balance and embed them in our future.
Johnny: It is an essential in today’s world to keep up with student demands and ongoing government regulation.
Gemma: I believe it comes down to educating, supporting and allowing people to identify what being sustainable means to them, their work and how we can imbed it in everything that we do. I think if you have an anchor or something tangible to refer to, it allows your team to set goals and measures to determine what can be achieved in this area.
Marion Bayley, CEO, ResidentialDeakinServices
Why is sustainability important to you?
14
Gemma: I believe that as individuals, communities, and organisations we all have a responsibility to ensure a future that is inclusive, equitable and values protecting our environment. I feel extremely proud to work for an organisation which holds strong values and feels a deep responsibility to lead by example on climate action. This means embedding sustainability principles at the core of everything we do.
In your opinion how should we as leaders support our teams to be more sustainably focused?
A huge thank you to all of our leaders for sharing their perspectives on sustainability and how student accommodation can play a part in this.
Awww.apsaa.org.auLeader’s
Marion: All too often practices are not undertaken due to financial impacts in the short term. Leaders can provide the strategic direction to ensure this isn’t a barrier and also be the motivator of innovative thinking.
Marion: To not only reduce our footprint but also to positively contribute to the communities that we are a part of, educating young people is at the core of why we exist and therefore we are lucky to be able to have such an influence on future generations and their practices.
Rose: We have a responsibility to ensure that the current and next generation become eco-conscious, self-sufficient global citizens who understand the importance and immediacy of environmental and sustainable education. Reframing messages on sustainability to make them applicable to our teams and organisations will encourage people to make change. Organisations are putting sustainability at the heart of what we do. Our Vice-President Jacob Waitere went out and asked a number of leaders of student accommodation organisations what sustainability means to them and their organisation. These leaders are Johnny Nu’u of the University of Otago, Rose Alwyn, Warden and Chief Executive at St John’s College within the University of Queensland, Marion Bayley CEO of Deakin Residential Services and our APSAA President, and Gemma Edgar General Manager of Student Living at the University of Newcastle Australia.
MANAGEMENT, OPERATIONS AND FINANCE
Johnny Nu’u: College UniversityWarden,ofOtago Gemma Edgar, General Manager – Student Living, University of Newcastle (Aus) Rose Alwyn, Warden and Chief Executive at St John’s College within The University of Queensland.
I think that our young people will be the generation of long overdue action in this space and are extremely passionate about all aspects of the SDGs. Therefore I am positive that change will happen and that sustainable practices will become normal rather than the exception.
Rose: That is a tough question – the first five are my fave! (No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health, Quality Education and Gender Equality).
Marion: This is difficult to narrow down to one - so many are interconnected and I would love to see prioritisation of them!
Rose: To really create a better future, the key is in educating our students to equip them with the ability to navigate a changing environment and to ensure they have the knowledge of self sufficiency, science and conservation to create a better and more sustainable future. It is in our hands to give the future generation the knowledge and practical tools they need to take on environmental change.
Marion: I think that our young people will be the generation of long overdue action in this space and are extremely passionate about all aspects of the SDGs. Therefore I am positive that change will happen and that sustainable practices will become normal rather than the exception.
This article is in relation to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): What role do you think student accommodation can play in equipping our residents with the tools for a more sustainable future?
Marion: As previously indicated, there is so much more than just waste management when talking about sustainable futures. Deep understanding of equity and diversity, people and place as well as impact of actions are what will effect change in the future. We have a captured audience where we can assist by facilitating some practices but also provide life lessons and challenge deeper thinking in our communities - ensuring we don’t accept anything less. These are lessons that hopefully are taken far beyond their years in student accommodation.
Student Accommodation September 2022 15 MANAGEMENT, OPERATIONS AND FINANCE
Gemma: As an industry I think that we should be developing our own charter or commitment to sustainability. As an industry we hold a responsibility to support young people, their future and the world they are going to live in! There is so much scope in how the SDGs could be incorporated into your organisation (if they are not already) and support building engaged, socially and globally aware young people who can create a world of positivity and difference in the area of sustainability!
Gemma: It really is hard to pick one because sustainability is multifaceted – our physical environment plays a huge role in social environment, and the world in which we live in. So I strongly connect with my social work values and as a human I want to see good health and wellbeing for all (Goal 3).
For me gender equality as well as reduced inequalities more broadly is something I am passionate about, they underpin so many issues – homelessness, poverty, wellbeing – and if addressed can contribute to the success of all areas of SDG through diversity.
Marion Bayley
Johnny: For me this starts with UN SDG Goal 1: No Poverty – End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Johnny: As guardians of the land and buildings we are placed on, we can provide opportunities for continued learning and understanding on why change is needed. Gemma: Our communities are primarily made up of young people. Young people are our future and they are incredibly dedicated, informed and action orientated in this area. I think it is about us stopping, creating space and time to listen to our community, understand what they want to see and do when it comes to a sustainable future and support them to take action! What do you think the future looks like in this space?
Out of the 17 UN SDGs, which one are you particularly passionate about?
Johnny: Sustainability will become more pronounced and take a lead role in how make decisions about our future state
Embodied Energy Embodied energy is the energy that is used to produce, transport a building material or product from extraction of the raw materials to its final installation in a completed building. With much of manufacturing relying on fossil fueled power, construction materials with high embodied energy equate to a higher carbon footprint. For example, one ton of concrete equates to one ton of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Whilst it may not be possible to always select low embodied energy materials when all issues are considered such as regulatory requirements, durability and costs, designers should lessen its impact through the potential for repurposing and re-use.
often used to encompass how we should live but it is something that is often difficult to achieve in practice, where complexities of the modern world leave us bewildered in knowing where to begin. In fact, in student accommodation, much of the decisions in how to achieve sustainable living outcomes have already been made when the building was conceived and designed. Early decisions incorporated into the design will have the greatest impact on outcomes throughout the life of the building in comparison to what individual behavioral change can achieve.
Ken Ng Director nettletontribeArchitect,and
The orientation and façade design of a building not only affects how it looks, but also how it performs. Buildings that are correctly orientated to the sun’s position, with a façade that moderates the amount of daylight entering the building, heat gain and heat loss, will reduce the amount of lighting, heating and cooling that will be required during the life of the building.
Ventilation and Occupant Comfort Buildings must be comfortable, which is to say they have moderate heat, cold and humidity. Buildings should recognize the local climate through the seasons and be designed to heat and cool through passive means. Moving air through windows and fans can improve comfort in hot and humid environment without lowering the temperature. In temperate climates, a well-designed façade with openable windows may be sufficient to maintain a comfortable interior through most of the year. Air conditioning and heating use can be in mixed mode operation, where it is activated only when spaces are occupied and when comfort conditions cannot be maintained through passive means.
Sustainable Approach to Student Accommodation SDesignustainabilityisajargon
Irrespective of a project’s funding, best endeavour means good design, with empirical testing through environmental modelling and/or rating tools applied, will improve sustainable outcomes. It is all about making sustainability a priority. Following the old adage, what we measure gets done.
Initiatives Irrespective of a project’s aspirations and means, designers should take a passive first approach, and can apply creative input into the process that will consider: Location, Climate, Solar Orientation and Façade
The design approach to achieving outcomes can be from first principles relying on sound fundamental principles, and/or using one of the many industry tools that allows for empirical benchmarkingmeasurements,andobjective decision making. How the building is to be built, which materials to use, how the building is operated, and how students and staff behave, will all contribute to the overarching sustainable objectives and benchmarks for the project.
16 www.apsaa.org.au
FACILITIES AND DEVELOPMENT
Student Accommodation September 2022 17
Waste Management
Student accommodation generates a large amount of general, recyclable and food waste. Minimising waste means reducing its generation in the first instance when making purchasing decisions. The recycling industry is increasingly moving towards separated waste stream collection for glass, paper, general waste, hard and soft plastics, e-waste, and organic waste. Bins separating waste streams can be provided in convenient locations with instructions. Students accumulate household items such as cooking utensils, appliances and clothing. Overseas students often have no means of transporting these items home, and each year large amounts of hard waste is accumulated. Operators should consider how students can avoid acquiring these items or have a program to pass unwanted items to the next cohort.
Occupant Education Purpose built student accommodation can also educate. Living on residence is a significant part of a student’s maturation journey as they also gain independence. Student accommodation has a role to play in developing civic and social ethics, living responsibly, and caring for the environment through how they live. A welldesigned facility will consider the physical environment as well as human factors in how sustainability can be achieved.
Energy and Water Efficiencies
Life Cycle Operational and life cycle costs are a large part of a project’s feasibility where costs are often considered over a span of 40 years. In this time frame multiple re-paints, furniture, flooring and joinery, and major plant equipment replacements will be required. Regular maintenance and upkeep are part of the costs and quantity surveyors can assist in making life cycle costs assessments. Building owners and operators can assess the least cost approach. Sustainability considerations should be part of their assessment as periodic replacements also generate waste and embodied energy. Replacement cycles are opportunities for incorporating new and more efficient technology that may be available at the time. The design team should take a long-life-loose-fit approach and allow the building to adapt over time.
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Artists impression of student accommodation at Blackfriars Residence, ACU Artists impression of common areas at Blackfriars Residence, ACU
Adaptation to new technologies, changes to functional requirements, re-purposing for an alternative use, and disassembled for recycling, are all best to be considered as part of the initial design phase.
Case AustralianStudies:Catholic University, Blackfriars Residence, Canberra As a former seminary for the Dominican Friars that had been converted to teaching and office spaces, the heritage listed Blackfriars Residence building is now being reconverted to student accommodation use. The top level of the building, which was previously the friar’s bedrooms, is now being repurposed back to its original use for ACU students. The project benefits from the sunk cost of the embodied energy used in the original construction, and will have a significant lower carbon impact than if the project is new beds. The project will comprise of 42 bedrooms, and all new communal spaces for the residents and aims to open for the 2023 academic year.
Efficiencies are achieved through a net combination of generation and consumption. Buildings can strive for net zero targets with zero carbon emissions during operations as measured on an annualised basis. Current state-of-the-art buildings have on-site generation with solar panels, battery banks, off site green power, and future power generation technologies. Coupled with highly efficient Passive Haus principles, which fully manages and separate the interaction between internal and external environments, buildings can balance their generation and consumption to achieve their net zero targets.
The heritage listed Blackfriars Residence building is now being reconverted to student accommodation use. The project benefits from the sunk cost of the embodied energy used in the original construction, and will have a significant lower carbon impact than if the project is new beds.
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The project incorporated solar panels for on-site generation, edible roof gardens, highly efficient zonecontrolled lighting, rainwater harvesting, electrical vehicle charge points, higher than standard bicycle parking provisions, and maximising passive cross ventilation and mixed mode ventilation.
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Sustainable Approach
The project pushed the boundaries for sustainable thinking not normally considered or benchmarked for student accommodation and winning multiple sustainability awards at the time.
Solar panels at Lena Karmel Hall Lodge, ANU Energy dashboard at Lena Karmel Hall Lodge, ANU
Continued from previous page to Student Accommodation Design
A feature staircase is strategically located to link common spaces on all levels, and students are provided with an energy dashboard at each level monitoring real time consumption of electricity, water and gas. A reward scheme for best performing floor is administered as part of the building’s pastoral care program and aims to educate residents aware of resource consumption and efficiency.
Australian National University, Lena Karmel Hall, Canberra ANU’s Lena Karmel Hall Lodge was constructed in 2013 with 485 beds. The project incorporated solar panels for on-site generation, edible roof gardens, highly efficient zone-controlled lighting, rainwater harvesting, electrical vehicle charge points, higher than standard bicycle parking provisions, and maximising passive cross ventilation and mixed mode ventilation.
Conclusion There is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Kev Carmody House, University of Queensland Common area, Kev Carmody House, University of Queensland
Irrespective of a project’s funding, best endeavour means good design, with empirical testing through environmental modelling and/or rating tools applied, will improve sustainable outcomes.
It is all about making sustainability a priority. Following the old adage, what we measure gets done.
How the benchmark is achieved will be dependent on the functional brief, student profile, operational requirements, financial feasibility, and any campus constraints that would influence the design approach and outcome. Whilst a state-of-the-art approach is possible with some projects, others will have more financial constraints and have to be more economical in their approach.
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Benchmarking is largely dependent on governance requirements, aspirations, budget and feasibility constraints.
This article is in relation to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): University of Queensland, Kev Carmody House, Brisbane Responding to the Brisbane climate, UQ’s Kev Carmody House took a fabric first approach to sustainability. Its heavily shaded façade moderates the environment by letting filtered light into the building whilst keeping the heat out. All windows are openable to maximise natural ventilation and airconditioning operates in mixed mode to minimise its use. The project operates on the self-catered college model with communal kitchens, living and recreational spaces. This approach benefits from shared facilities that reduces duplication and minimises material use and energy consumption. The project is attached to an existing heritage listed house, repurposed for communal spaces and reduces the project’s embodied energy overall. As a project on campus, the project draws its green energy from Australia’s largest centralised solar plant at UQ. Stormwater is harvested for toilet flushing and irrigation. Materials are selected for durability and low life cycle cost. Low VOC and high recycled content materials have been used throughout. The project was awarded a commendation from the Australian Institute of Architects (Queensland Chapter) in 2022.
When I first came into this role six years ago we didn’t have any set targets. We had very little data, or the data was dispersed, so we didn’t know what our current impact was.
Emma shared the process of setting these sustainability goals, some of the major projects in the works, a case study of working with Traditional Custodians and the role student engagement can play in setting up a sustainable culture.
Tell us about how Deakin came to set such ambitious sustainability targets.
Insights and case studies from Deakin University’s ambitious push toward sustainability
The first thing we did as a team of two was undertake a data review, pulling in loose bits of data that sat all across the university while also gathering new pieces of data. We brought in a data management system, and after 18 months of hard work we got to a position where we understood what our environmental impact was at that point.
‘You
Experience and
When we had a bit of confidence in what our current state was we started to set the sustainability aspirations, and I can’t tell you how important they were as a driver for change. One of the targets at the time was to be carbon neutral by 2030, then in early 2020 our Vice-Chancellor (Professor Iain Martin) asked me into his office and said, “How about we bring that forward five years to be more aspirational. We need to be leading this transition to renewables and this transition to carbon neutrality.” To bring the target forward five years really gives you an understanding of how important these targets and commitments were to the university. At the time the conversation we were having was around the privilege that universities had to drive change, and also the government of the time weren’t driving change themselves. We were seeing no real leadership in the transition to renewables, so universities took it on ourselves to lead that change despite the lack of political movement on the topic.
Emma Connan Director, DeakinandEnvironmentsSustainability,Logistics,University
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With a broad remit encompassing directorship of sustainability, environments and logistics, Deakin’s Emma Connan is well placed to drive transformative change across the university’s four campuses. Under Emma’s sustainability leadership, Deakin has come a long way toward achieving its ambitious goals of carbon neutrality by 2025 and zero waste by 2030.
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As Emma shares in this interview, change on this scale is not something that can be done alone. These advancements and the large and small projects that contribute toward the sustainability goals are achieved through thorough consultation and collaboration across the university with staff and students, and more broadly with Traditional Custodians, community groups and with local organisations.
Sam Johnstone Manager, ServicesDeakinEngagement,Residential can’t argue against saving the world’
We also have a monthly meeting with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, where we talk about all the projects we have at our Geelong campuses – what stage they’re at and what input the Corporation can have into those projects. In particular, we spend a lot of time on master planning, signage, biodiversity and water management.
We also have a monthly meeting with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, where we talk about all the projects we have at our Geelong campuses – what stage they’re at and what input the Corporation can have into those projects. In particular, we spend a lot of time on master planning, signage, biodiversity and water management.
Photo by Simeon Walker
For me, when we started looking at that, it seemed like a crime when water has been so scarce and will be in the future. It seemed like there should be a different way to do that.
The Integrated Water Management plan includes working in partnership with Barwon Water to bring Class-A recycled water onto campus to be used for irrigation, so we’re going to be far more self-efficient with that. We’re also converting all the ponds on campus to functioning wetlands, which will help with stormwater capture, flood mitigation and will improve the overall quality of water on campus and of the water that flows through to the natural waterways in the region.
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Tell us about the Climate Ready campus project at Deakin’s Geelong Waurn Ponds campus Waurn Ponds campus is our main focus for sustainability as we’re creating a climate ready campus, which brings together climate mitigation activities, climate adaptation, biodiversity management and integrated water management. We have plenty of space on campus, so we’re in a good position to demonstrate what a climate-ready environment should or could look like. In addition to the solar farm and rooftop solar, the climate adaptation includes planting and water management as well as adapting our design standards for our buildings, and major projects like the Integrated Water Management plan.
The solar farm produces about half of the campus’ electricity requirements so far. We have a way to go in terms of optimising that, we have to really manage our energy load and usage more effectively, but it’s 14 hectares of panels, so it’s huge.
A big part of water management and biodiversity is planting, with a focus on bringing iconic species back to campus. Interestingly climate change is dictating what we plant and where we plant it. It’s not necessarily what was here thousands of years ago because the change in climate is here now and some species wouldn’t thrive as they once did, so this is a part of the climate adaptation within our integrated water management and biodiversity strategies as well. The solar farm produces about half of the campus’ electricity requirements so far. We have a way to go in terms of optimising that, we have to really manage our energy load and usage more effectively, but it’s 14 hectares of panels, so it’s huge.
Deakin Waurn Ponds
Another key part of this project is increasing water sustainability. At Waurn Ponds we currently use 60% of our total consumption of potable water for irrigation of our grounds.
Renewable Energy Microgrid.
FACILITIES AND DEVELOPMENT
Even the work and conversations in the lead up to Corrina and Billy-Jay doing those paintings and writing those inscriptions was a great process. We wanted to be very authentic, we didn’t want to avoid tough topics because if we’re going to work towards treaty, we need a whole lot of truth telling and a whole lot of deep listening.
L-R: Jo Plummer, Chair Barwon Water Board, Darren Cheeseman MP, Harriet Shing MP, Billy-Jay O’Toole (artist), Corrina Eccles (artist) and Iain Martin, Deakin Vice-Chancellor with one of the Cultural Water Fountains Cultural Water Fountain detail Water really is the life-blood for the Traditional Custodians, and for the land and for Country, so when we started to tackle water management on the Waurn Ponds campus we sought input into our plans from Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, from our own contacts at Barwon Water and other stakeholders, and the cultural water fountain project came out of that.
And now there are these water fountains that are sustainable, inclusive, educational and just absolutely stunning pieces of art around our campuses, including our student residences.
Can you tell us about working with Barwon Water and Wadawurrung Traditional Custodians on the water fountain project? Water really is the life-blood for the Traditional Custodians, and for the land and for Country, so when we started to tackle water management on the Waurn Ponds campus we sought input into our plans from Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, from our own contacts at Barwon Water and other stakeholders, and the cultural water fountain project came out of that.
It seems very small, but the opportunity that we had to make a connection for our staff, students and our community to water and to Country and to educate people that were using the fountains about the Country that they were standing on, was just so great.
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Barwon Water were really generous in terms of facilitating that project, and we ran a number of workshops to define our focus. We brought in people from NIKERI (Deakin’s National Indigenous Knowledges Education and Research Innovation Institute), Barwon Water’s Cultural Team, and two Wadawurrung artists – Corrina Eccles and her son Billy-Jay O’Toole. That project was just such a beautiful one to work on, but also the outcome was extremely satisfying.
Continued from previous page can’t argue against saving the world’
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This article is in relation to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Students are one of our primary target audiences. They’re the most passionate people in our communities in relation to sustainability, so there’s a lot of energy and motivation that we can capture, particularly with residents living on our campuses. We see one of our priorities as making sure that the students that come through our campuses leave with a culture of sustainability. They’ve seen good practice, they’ve participated in good sustainable behaviour. We want them to leave with sustainability knowledge from their time at Deakin and I think we need to spend more time on doing that, because that’s what’s going to make the difference once they take the step outside of university.
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These projects must include a lot of stakeholders from around the university. How do you go about successful collaboration?
There have been a number of challenges at an internal operational level. The sustainability team has always been small but really packs a punch in terms of the change and work that we do across the university.
We’re responsible for the development of strategy and then we implement the strategy through the operational areas of the university. You can’t just develop strategy in a silo then hand it over for someone else to do because they may completely disagree with it and it might not be informed by real life. Those teams know an awful lot and have on the ground knowledge – they know challenges that they face every day that we have no idea about. So what we do is co-design strategy so that by the time we end up with a strategy or a plan, everybody is onboard. And I think that’s the only way to go to be honest. That co-design model takes a lot of time and effort from a lot of people, but that’s how we get the buy in.
Thanks to Emma for sharing insights into the exciting work across Deakin’s campuses to achieve the ambitious sustainability goals. Even though there are challenges sometimes getting these projects off the ground and securing buy in from a broad range of stakeholders, Emma has a special phrase in her back pocket that can help get things across the line: ‘You can’t argue against saving the world.’
So what we do is co-design strategy so that by the time we end up with a strategy or a plan, everybody is onboard. And I think that’s the only way to go to be honest. That co-design model takes a lot of time and effort from a lot of people, but that’s how we get the buy in.
What role do students have to play in creating a culture of sustainability?
At St John’s College in Brisbane, like many student residences across the country, our students established a Recycling Committee, or ‘ReCo’,
Students of the St John’s College ‘ReCo’
Students making small contributions on environmental projects often set the example for the rest of us
Dr Areti Metuamate St John’s QueenslandUniversityCollege,of
Recently, I attended a panel discussion on campus with some young Pasifika climate change activists talking about the impact of climate change in the Pacific Islands. As a Pacific Islander I have always been mindful of how evident it is that many Pacific Island communities are already being negatively affected and how severe the future risks are if things keep going they way they have been. I was inspired by these young leaders and their passion for addressing what is surely the biggest threat facing humanity today.
24 www.apsaa.org.au STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND WELLBEING
At the social event after the panel discussion, I was talking with a colleague from another student residence and he said to me that the young leaders on the panel reminded him that many of the young people we work with every day in our residences will play key roles in solving the climate crisis. I agreed with him, and then we started to talk about different environmental initiatives we’ve seen in student residences. Something one of the panellists said was relevant here, “Lots of people doing small things adds up to really big things”, because while there are some students in our residences who will work directly in the climate change space, many if not most won’t. Instead, they will contribute in other ways by doing small things in their day-to-day work and personal lives. Things like ensuring energy efficiency in the home, planting trees, offsetting air travel, using public transport or buying an electric car, and recycling.
At St John’s College in Brisbane, like many student residences across the country, our students established a Recycling Committee, or ‘ReCo’, focussed on ensuring that anything that is recyclable is recycled.
focussed on ensuring that anything that is recyclable is recycled. The ReCo team have set up blue bins across the College specifically for cans and bottles and each week they are responsible for collecting them and ensuring they are empty and not contaminated with other rubbish. The entire College community embraces this and you’ll often see people go out of their way to find a blue bin to drop a bottle or can in. The ReCo also works with the College catering team to get all of their empties.
containers are used by Queenslanders each year, the second most littered item), and making a small step to addressing the climate crisis, they are also able to make quite a bit of money in the process (often up to $100 per week) which they can then use to make even more of an impact by donating it to a relevant environmental charity, or using it to support the work of the ReCo.
This article is in relation to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Student Accommodation September 2022 25 STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND WELLBEING
One of the ReCo members said to me recently that he realises recycling bottles and cans in this way is a “pretty basic thing” to do, but it’s precisely because it’s simple that everyone in the College is able to engage. “We use this small step to then start a bigger conversation about why recycling is important and how we can put the money we make from Containers for Change to good use”.
The bags of bottles and cans are then taken by the ReCo to a Containers for Change1 depot and they get 10c for every container they have collected. These students know that they are not only doing something to address what is one of Queensland’s worst rubbish problems (three billion beverage
References 1 container-refund/container-refund-aboutmanagement/waste/recovery/reduction/https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/
Weedon Lodge (Cameron Offices)
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Rachel Overton Associate CanberraUniversityDirector,of Simone Gallo National Manager, UniversityAustralianAccommodation,StudentCatholic
Sustaining Commonwealth Heritage listed buildings
The University of Canberra is proud to own two of these heritage buildings designed by the late John Andrews which are Weeden Lodge, formerly known as Cameron Offices and Wagan, formerly referred to as Student Residence Group 2. Weeden Lodge (Cameron Offices) Cameron Offices was the first building constructed in the new town centre of Belconnen in 1976, and Australia’s largest office complex development at that time. It was conceived as an element of an urban street design with pedestrian movement through interconnected wings and walkways as the primary theme. A landscaped courtyard separates the office wings. The basic layout was retained and still exists, but the plant species were changed in the mid-80s. The watercourse has also been realigned and is not used. The complex is constructed in in-situ concrete and precast (mostly posttensioned) concrete. The extensive use of post-tensioned precast concrete for much of the structure was a relatively new and innovative building system that was further utilised in many other later office buildings. The use of post-tensioned precast concrete ‘T’ floor beams which occurred in the late 1960s to mid-1970s is now rare in Australia. The glazing is generally supported at the top and bottom by concealed frames cast into the concrete. Almost 400 places are included in the Commonwealth Heritage List. These places have a diversity of Indigenous, historic and natural heritage values. Commonwealth Heritage listed places are defined as places within a Commonwealth area, owned or leased by the Commonwealth, which are identified as having Commonwealth Heritage values. These places are included in the Commonwealth Heritage List by the Minister for the Environment.
Cameron Offices ownership was transferred to the University of Canberra in 2011 and works commenced to transfer the offices to student accommodation, which was completed with the building opening in 2012. The accommodation is now home to 480 beds. The structure of the building and all external areas maintain the same as per the heritage conditions, but the internal areas were tastefully transferred to spacious accommodation comprising of a mixture of studios and 99%refurbishmenthasapartments.2-to-7-bedroomTheaccommodationprovedpopularsinceitsandwillbebacktooccupancyforsemester2.
University of Canberra
• Specific features include the cubiform overall shape; expressed structural frame; plain smooth wall surface with large areas of blank wall in an off form in situ concrete; the ribbon windows and corner windows; the bull-nosed roof form; the street/stairways; cantilevering structure and stepped planning, original detailing and finishes.
The accommodation is scheduled for further refurbishment, but care will be taken to ensure the original heritage features are maintained sympathetically.
The University of Canberra Student Residence Group 2, which is now referred to as Wagan was designed by John Andrews International in 1973-74 for the Canberra College of Advanced Education (CCAE) with construction being completed in 1975. The CCAE became the University of Canberra in 1990.
The complex of study/bedroom ‘units’ where the blocks step down the site in a compact interlocking composition incorporating off-set stairs, within an open landscape setting that includes their original scale, form and fabric.
The University of Canberra Student Residence Group 2 (Wagan)
The significant features of Wagan that led to it being heritage listed are:
Student Accommodation September 2022 27
• Open spaces, planting and landscape generally around the complex enables its original scale and form to be appreciated including the open form of the park setting.
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Wagan provided housing for large numbers of students from the early 1970s following the introduction of free tertiary education by the Federal Labour Government.
Australia Catholic University Australia Catholic University (ACU) is also in the fortunate position to own heritage properties within their campus in Canberra. The initial drawings are credited to Fr Bonaventure Leahy OP, a
Wagan exterior Wagan interior gifted amateur architect. Kevin J Curtin and Partners, a highly experienced church architecture firm completed the design and construction based on these initial plans. The buildings were opened as the Dominican Sisters Training College in Watson, Canberra on 24 March 1963. It evolved with the forming of the Australian Catholic University through 1987 to 1994, officially becoming Canberra Campus (Signadou) Australian Catholic University in 1995. It is made up of two octagonal buildings: Signadou and Blackfriars.
The University of Canberra is set in a park-like setting in the suburb of Bruce with Heritage significance due to its association with the development of tertiary education in Canberra with the establishment of the CCAE.
Internals of the ground floor of both Blackfriars and Signadou Buildings have been updated both aesthetically and physically. Most notably new access routes have been created to ensure easy and accessible ingress and egress to buildings. Roofing has been replaced in key areas and upgrades have been made to air conditioning systems to provide more efficiency, including the addition of BMS systems allowing for targeted scheduling of classrooms and offices to reduce power consumption.
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Sustaining Commonwealth Heritage listed buildings
Continued from
Australia Catholic University (ACU) interior Australia Catholic University (ACU) interior
The site has had several upgrades and improvements since 2015, with over $30m spent on the Canberra Campus in Capital Works expenditure. The new Veritas Building in the centre of the site was specifically designed to tie together the two heritage buildings that sat at either end of the site to provide covered access between the buildings. This has created far better accessibility and ease of use for the heritage buildings. The Veritas Building itself won ACT Building of the Year 2020 and is rated 5 Green Stars. In fact, ACT Heritage cited the Veritas Project as being one of the better examples of blending old with new in the ACT, noting it had improved the accessibility and usage of the heritage buildings.
This article is in relation to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Blackfriars building top floor is currently being refurbished into on-campus student accommodation ready for Semester 1, 2023. The residence will boast 24-hour swipe key access, a large communal kitchen, lounge, dining and games area as well as an internal card operated laundry. Residents will have 24-hour access to support from onsite staff, free unlimited internet, and easy access to the campus swimming pool, library and multipurpose court. Nettletontribe Architects have created a design which is sympathetic to the mid-century period in which the property was built. ACU have had sustainability as a key factor in its capital projects for some time now and the design supports these ideals. Blackfriars Residence will feature a number of energy saving features within its lighting and temperature controls. This refurbishment will bring student life back to this floor for which it was originally used and breath new life into the campus.
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Student Accommodation September 2022 29 Njabulo MaphumuloEmmanuel Executive ResidentialHead:Education,ACUHO-ISouthAfricanChapter ACUHO-I South African Green TConferenceCampusesataglancehelaunchoftheGreenCampusesConference(GCC)wassupportedbytheDepartmentofHigherEducationandTraining(DHET)Ministerin2012topromotetheclimatechangeinterventionsinSouthAfricafollowingCOP17.AcallwasmadebytheDHETonhighereducationinstitutionsleaderstosupportsustainabilitycommitmentandhelptobuildtherespectivegreencampusesinitiatives.Theseinstitutionalinitiativesaremeanttoprovidestudentswiththeknow-howandskillsneededtoaddresssustainability,environmentalawareness,climatechange,andgreeningandtoallowthemtobenefitfromtheeconomicopportunitiesthatarisefromthesolutionstheyhelpdevelop.Thekeyaimsoftherespectivegreencampusesinitiativesaretoencouragestudentsandstafftothinkgreen,becomegreen,andusebicyclesandbuses;toteachthemhowtoretro-fitbuildingsandcreategreenbuildings;toensurethatuniversitiesprocuregreenproductsandservices;tostructurecurriculatoincludemorefocusonsustainability;toreduceresourceusagebyrecycling,andtorunresourceusageaudits.Sincethelaunchofvariousgreeninitiativesinrespectiveinstitutions,theNelsonMandelaUniversityhostedthe1stAnnualGreenCampusesConferenceinpartnershipwiththeAssociationofCollegesandUniversityHousingOfficers-Internationalasaplatformfornationalgreenbenchmarking.Sincethentherehasbeenan
increasing interest and participation by different institutions, especially in the student housing sector.
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The Green Campuses Conference adopts the strength-based approach that concentrates on the inherent strengths of individuals, groups and organisations. It is a platform for positivity and new energy, and further offers the best way to share and benchmark with each other, and to seek feedback from peers. Green Volunteers during the Green Campuses Conference 2022 preparing to welcome the delegates from various institutions
FACILITIES AND DEVELOPMENT
The Green Campuses Conference adopts the strength-based approach that concentrates on the inherent strengths of individuals, groups and organisations. It is a platform for positivity and new energy, and further offers the best way to share and benchmark with each other, and to seek feedback from peers. Both formally, through the delivery of papers and the presentation of poster sessions, and informally through oneon-one or small group conversations, a surprising amount of professional support and advice is given to various participating institutions.
Attendees of the Green Campuses Conference 2022 from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology during the opening ceremonyAttendees of the Green Campuses Conference from the University of Free State during the ceremony
References Hall, M. (2008). Green campus policy framework. Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Cape Town. Mafongosi, K. N., Awuzie, B. O., & Talukhaba, A. A. (2018). Exploring stakeholders’ perceptions of the green campus initiative in south African higher education institutions. Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation, 8(Supplement 1), 2209-2218. Purushottam, N., & Rwelamila, P. D. (2015). Green campus initiatives as projects: can creating conducive internal university project environment a key to success?. Shange, H. S. (2021). The role of Green Campus Initiative (GCI) as integral part of environmental and sustainable resources utilization: a case study of Durban University of Technology (Doctoral dissertation). This article is in relation to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
• Fostering the development of a multistakeholder green campus development community of practice, to facilitate shared learning and public-private partnerships among members.
• Gathering of stakeholder input toward the development of a shared strategic framework and implementation plan for a capacity development programme related to green skills;
• Provision of a national, continental and international overview of green campus development to help domestic participants to develop a benchmark of where they are comparatively; and
30 www.apsaa.org.au Continued from previous page ACUHO-I
The main expected outcome of the Green Campuses Conference is to inform the National Framework for “Recreating the greener future” in South Africa, subsequently, the additional outcomes are:
These outcomes translated to various interventions aimed at assisting the institutions to contribute to the sustainable development
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The first round of intervention focused mainly on educational awareness and behaviour change, amongst campus communities about climate change, and capacity building on identifying the practical green campus programs that can be initiated at the campus level to mitigate the impact of climate change. Noticeable changes to campus infrastructure were needed to conserve energy and other resources, human behaviour is a potentially large contributor to a smaller campus footprint.
Attendees of the Green Campuses Conference 2022 from the Wits University during the opening ceremony
South African Green Campuses Conference at a glance
Furthermore, the students attend college and university primarily for the coursework, and those who live on campus spend more time in their living spaces than they do in classrooms. These student residences, not surprisingly, have become living and learning communities for many campus sustainability actions; often all it takes is one or two motivated students with a bright idea to get something started. From peer outreach programs to inter-residences energy competitions, students have been engaging with one another, staff and with campus-wide to reduce waste, conserve resources and spread the word about sustainability.
Ever since this intervention, students across the country are actively engaged in teaching and influencing members of the campus community about how individual behaviours contribute to climate change—and about the opportunity for making a positive difference collectively.
and
1,406 universities
Learn more here: timeshighereducation.com/impactrankingshttps://www. Want to have some free education on the SDGs? Check out these Coursera courses: • The Sustainable
and teaching.
The 2022 Impact Rankings is the fourth edition the overall ranking includes from 106 countries/regions. Development vision the Sustainable Development Goal:
Goals –A global, transdisciplinary
for the future: learn/global-sustainable-developmenthttps://www.coursera.org/ • Driving business towards
research,
University recognition: The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). use carefully calibrated indicators to provide comprehensive and balanced comparison across four broad areas: stewardship, outreach
NEWS What are the TDevelopmentSustainableGoals?heSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs),alsoknownastheGlobalGoals,wereadoptedbytheUnitedNationsin2015asauniversalcalltoactiontoendpoverty,protecttheplanet,andensurethatby2030allpeopleenjoypeaceandprosperity.Theyareacollectionof17interlinkedglobalgoalsdesignedtobea"sharedblueprintforpeaceandprosperityforpeopleandtheplanet,nowandintothefuture".The17SDGsareintegrated—theyrecognisethatactioninoneareawillaffectoutcomesinothers,andthatdevelopmentmustbalancesocial,economicandenvironmentalsustainability.The17SDGsare:1.Nopoverty2.Zerohunger3.Goodhealthandwell-being4.Qualityeducation5.Genderequality6.Cleanwaterandsanitation7.Affordableandcleanenergy8.Decentworkandeconomicgrowth9.Industry,innovationandinfrastructure10.Reducedinequalities11.Sustainablecitiesandcommunities12.Responsibleconsumptionandproduction13.Climateaction14.Lifebelowwater15.Lifeonland16.Peace,justice,andstronginstitutions17.Partnershipsforthegoals.Thecreativity,knowhow,technologyandfinancialresourcesfromallofsocietyisnecessarytoachievetheSDGsineverycontext.APSAArecognisesthatstudentaccommodationcanplayanimportantpartinachievingtheSDGs.Studentaccommodationprovidersdeliverrealestatedevelopmentprojectsfocusedoncreatingandoperatingaffordablestudenthousingfacilities.Expectedimpactisenhancedaccesstoqualityeducationespeciallyformarginalisedcommunities.Wealsoutiliseourplatformtoeducateourstudentresidentsontheiractionsandhowtheycancontributetoamoresustainablesociety.APSAAintroducedtheExcellenceinSDGstodemonstrateourcommitmentasanindustrytotheseimportantactionsandgoals.Learnmorehere:https://sdgs.un.org/goals#goals
www.coursera.org/learn/sdgbusinesshttps://
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Student Accommodation September 2022 Phone: +61 3 9586 6055 Email: admin@apsaa.org.au apsaa.org.au
