Wardle completes second major new building at UTAS Launceston

The University of Tasmania has opened a new $45.5 million teaching and learning building at its Inveresk campus in Launceston.

The River's Edge building, designed by Wardle, is the second major new building at the campus, following the completion of the library in 2022.

The four-storey facility accommodates students and staff from the humanities, social sciences, law and education disciplines.

Overlooking the lakekeller (North Esk River), the building has been designed to prioritize views to the river and distant mountain tops.

The facade's saw-tooth geometry, inspired by the roofscapes of the surrounding industrial buildings, frames views to both natural landscapes.

"The flipped sawtooth design offers staff and students myriad spaces to access light and views," said John Wardle, founding partner of Wardle. "Each iteration of the sawtooth section is slightly wider than the one preceding it - allowing more of the view as you move closer to the river."

The interior of the building features a large atrium with a series of brick pods on the ground floor that house a range of collaborative teaching and student support programs. Large timber light wells echo the shape of the brick pods above.