Monash University Teaching Spaces

Educational environments are changing. Gone are the days of static lecture theatres and rigid classroom layouts. Today’s learning spaces are expected to foster collaboration, encourage interaction and support a more fluid style of teaching — one that reflects the evolving relationship between students, educators and the spaces they inhabit.

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At Monash University’s Clayton Campus, Hayball approached this transformation with clarity and ambition. Existing underutilised teaching spaces were reimagined into contemporary collaborative environments designed to support Monash University’s progressive Active and Collaborative Learning Strategy. The goal was not simply to renovate, but to reshape the learning experience itself. Working alongside Hayball, Harris HMC and CZ Victoria, MBS Architectural were engaged across all non-plaster ceiling and wall surfaces throughout the project. The result is a richly layered architectural environment where acoustics, warmth, detailing and functionality work seamlessly together.

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Central to the project is the interplay of materiality. Across the teaching spaces, 15 kilometres of MBS Apollo Tasmanian Oak Battens introduce rhythm, texture and warmth into the interiors. Designed in a 30mm deep by 30mm wide dome profile at 60mm centres, the battens were carefully tinted to match the George Fethers Walnut Crown Cut veneer used elsewhere throughout the project. This continuity of finish creates a cohesive visual language that flows naturally between ceiling and wall surfaces, softening the institutional scale often associated with educational buildings.

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Complementing the battens are MBS Keystone Timber Panels, specified in a combination of 2PAC Dulux Flinders Green and real timber walnut crown cut veneer. The pairing of bold colour with natural timber creates moments of contrast and richness throughout the spaces, balancing durability with a more residential warmth that encourages comfort and engagement. Acoustic performance was equally critical to the success of the project. In collaborative learning environments, controlling reverberation and background noise becomes essential to maintaining focus and clarity between users. To achieve this, approximately 600 square metres of MBS Apollo Wood Wool Panels were integrated throughout the project. Finished in Dulux Silo Grain, the fibrous texture of the panels introduces another layer of visual softness while delivering acoustic performance ratings from NRC 0.70 and above.

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Service integration also played a major role in shaping the final outcome. Across the project, 575 linear metres of MBS Apollo Linear Service Troughs were incorporated into the ceiling design, finished in Dulux Charisma Black Ace Flat. These troughs allow lighting, mechanical services and infrastructure to integrate cleanly within the architectural ceiling plane without disrupting the visual rhythm of the battens and panels surrounding them.

Behind the scenes, the project required an enormous level of coordination and bespoke detailing. Working closely with the Hayball design team, MBS Architectural developed more than 250 linear metres of custom trims and transitions to resolve the unique junctions and conditions across the project. These bespoke elements became critical in maintaining continuity between differing materials, ceiling systems and architectural geometries.

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And perhaps that is what defines this project most clearly — collaboration. From early design development through to manufacture and installation, the project was shaped through close coordination between architect, builder, contractor and manufacturer. Delivered within a condensed construction programme, the teaching spaces demonstrate what becomes possible when technical problem solving and architectural ambition work hand in hand.

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The result is a series of educational environments that feel warm, calm and highly resolved — spaces designed not only to facilitate learning, but to actively enhance it.

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PRODUCT:
⦿ MBS Apollo Battens, Tasmanian Oak, 30d by 30w Dome @ 60mm Centres (30mm Gap), Tinted to match Walnut Veener used elsewhere on the project
⦿ MBS Keystone Timber Panels, Various Sizes, 2PAC Dulux Flinders Green & George Fethers Real Timber Walnut Crown Cut Veener
⦿ MBS Apollo Linear Service Troughs, Various Sizes, Dulux Charisma Black Ace Flat
⦿ MBS Apollo Wood Wool Panels, 1200x600, Painted Dulux Silo Grain

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COVERAGE:
⦿ 15 k/m of MBS Apollo Tasmanian Oak timber battens
⦿ 250 L/M of MBS bespoke trims to suit unique project requirements
⦿ 575 L/M of MBS Apollo Troughs
⦿ 330 SQM of Perforated Timber Panels
⦿ 600 SMQ of MBS Apollo Wood Wool

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FINISH:
⦿ Battens coated to match George Fethers Walnut Crown Cut Veener
⦿ Perforated Timber Panels in 2PAC Flinders Green
⦿ Timber Veener, George Fetheres Walnut Crown Cut
⦿ Wood Wool panels painted in Silo Grain