Trinity Residential College

Trinity at UWA is a residential college for students and provides facilities for professional development. Trinity provides students with a ‘college’ experience that is homely, comfortable, open and welcoming, whether it be long term, or short term. It prides itself on not being like student housing but providing a college community through open-mindedness, communal living and dining areas, high quality study facilities, all amongst a natural garden setting. The affinity with nature is exemplified by bringing nature indoors, maximising natural light and ventilation and building a commitment to environmental sustainability.

The brief was ‘to provide nothing like anything else in WA’ for the dining experience. A host of different galas and events are held throughout the year, celebrating the cultural diversity of Trinity’s student residents. Student wellbeing has been researched as the College continues to learn about the adverse effects of student loneliness and isolation during their tertiary education. So, for the college the Dining Hall is the space where students connect with one-another, expand relationships and grow their community. The existing building housing the dining hall included an under-utilised administration area adjacent, separated by a glass partition and with outdated spaces that were not conducive for studying in a social setting.

With the ever changing times in education and the need for wireless access and ‘cafe style’ study, the internal walls were removed, windows facing Stirling Highway were revealed and areas developed containing nooks and collaboration spaces have been created to encourage a social study environment. The installation of the 48 LED panels to the ceiling of the main dining hall are a small (or large) intervention created to provide technology that activates the space through the ability to manipulate the ambience through digital theming – from the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New year with firey reds and flags, to international dinners with specific cultural themes, through to light pastels, to emulating the sky within the space. The students now have a media-rich, comfortable and flexible heart to the College – to eat, study, play and celebrate.

The adjoining courtyard and walkways were an additional project undertaken by EIW, complementing the refurbished study and dining hall.