“Designing with Country” is the guiding theme of the new Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Woden campus.
Under the guidance of Yerrabingin’s Christian Hampson, the design team consisting of Gray Puksand working with Infrastructure Canberra, CIT and Lendlease centred their approach on integrating the building with Ngunnawal Country through its materials, colour palette and overall design.
This connection to landscape is brought to life in the central atrium, conceived as a vertical journey from earth to sky. Across five light-filled levels, colours shift from grounded, earthy tones at the lower floors to softer, more expansive hues above, creating an environment that supports both calm focus and collaboration.
As a major new presence in the Woden Town Centre and a significant investment in the ACT’s education network, the campus was designed for longevity, community connection and daily use. With approximately 6,500 students expected to use the facility each year, the selection of durable materials was critical to bringing this vision to life.
The project needed to deliver an architectural outcome that genuinely reflected Country, while also creating spaces that function effectively for teaching and learning. Alongside this, the technical requirements were uncompromising, particularly around durability and environmental performance.
Ensuring acoustic comfort was a major priority, as managing noise levels is crucial to maintaining a focused and comfortable learning environment. The ACT Government also required every material used to meet a 30-year design life, exceeding the typical 10-year industry warranty and placing strong emphasis on long-term product resilience. With the campus targeting a 6-Star Green Star certification, all selected products additionally needed recognised sustainability credentials and the ability to contribute meaningfully to the building’s broader environmental goals.
