Higher Education Building

The Higher Education Building, which opened in 2007, has been built specifically to deliver higher education to Central Australians.

The double-storey building is an earthy, sculptural design that mirrors the rocky landscape of Central Australia. Deeply recessed, minimal glazing on the west façade reflects the opening of layered rocks and echoes the tones of the distant MacDonnell Ranges.

Offering a modern lecture theatre, science laboratory, offices and an administration area, the facility uses the latest building methods and technologies to maximise comfort and resources for staff and students. It is specifically designed for a dry desert climate, with extremes of heat and cold.

The energy-efficient building is fitted with technologies allowing regulated automated airflow through the top floor, chilled water-based air-conditioning and energy-efficient lighting. Thermal mass is maintained with masonry walls and a slab-on ground floor.

The Higher Education Building offers a hub of resources for more than 30 staff and 190 undergraduate, postgraduate and research students, some of whom work collaboratively with research and brokerage institution Desert Knowledge CRC. It includes multi-media equipped lecture theatres, class, tutorial and research rooms.

Higher education at Alice Springs encompasses a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses covering nursing, business, education, engineering, IT, law, tourism management, accounting, commerce, multi-media and environmental management.