Since opening in February 2023, Boola Katitjin, which translates to “lots of learning” in Noongar, has amplified the Murdoch experience in every way. The building stands on country that has been a place of learning for tens of thousands of years. Boola Katitjin continues this tradition in the best possible way. 

It’s designed with students at its heart, with Australian-first technology and an inclusive and sustainable design, following the biophilic principle of connecting occupants to nature.    
 
Boola Katitjin is the largest mass engineered timber building in Western Australia. It is 180 metres in length and runs over four stories. It offers 21 large teaching and learning spaces, technology-rich labs, collaborative spaces, a digital immersive lab and creative workspace. There are areas for informal ‘peer to peer’ learning, workspaces for staff and a new home for Murdoch’s Student Services. 

The building featured the first Tech-Enabled Learning (TEL) desks in the country, allowing students to connect with any device, collaborate with their group, and present and share their work with the class from anywhere in the world. It has universal accessibility, inclusive design and an extensive art collection that can be experienced and interacted with throughout the building.  

It blazes a trail for sustainable construction, with 90% of the waste accrued during its construction being recycled and repurposed. Boola Katitjin was designed with sustainably grown timber, stormwater harvesting, and expansive solar cells.  
 
The building has won a multitude of awards since opening, including the Higher Education and Research category at the 2023 World Architecture Festival in Singapore; WA Building of the Year from the WA Institute for Architecture; the National Award for Sustainable Architecture from the Australian Institute for Architecture; and the Western Australian Project of the Year award from Engineers Australia. 

Connection to the past

But for all its game-changing qualities, Boola Katitjin provides continuity for the Murdoch University campus, reinforcing and upscaling the bush campus approach of Murdoch’s original architect R J (Gus) Ferguson.   

The original Physical Planning Report Murdoch University 1973 stated: “from the beginning the campus plan has been developed in its regional setting. Of equal importance, its structure is directly related to its immediate surroundings.”

Gus Ferguson set out to design and develop the original Murdoch campus buildings in relation to the landscape, with structures that sat into the site, were suited to the climate and environment, and that were ‘of Australia’. He designed in relation to the landscape and to complement the surrounding native bush design. 

Following on from this legacy, Boola Katitjin’s glass walls enhance connection with the surrounding bush campus and Murdoch landscapes. The building connects occupants to nature, through features such as expansive views over the Beeliar wetlands and breezeways which allow for natural ventilation. There is a view of nature from almost every part of the building. 

Like the original Murdoch campus buildings, in which Gus Ferguson showed no fear in creating original and unique designs, Boola Katitjin has created waves around the world for its groundbreaking engineering and design.  

Watch architect Neil Appleton, Director at Lyons, explain how he referenced Gus Ferguson's original architectural vision for Murdoch when approaching the design of Boola Katitjin.

Foundation ethos in action

More than just a structure, Boola Katitjin and the new energy and opportunities it brings to the Murdoch students and community aligns with, supports and advances the University’s foundation ethos, as well as the University’s strategy, ‘Ngala Kwop Biddi. Building a Brighter Future, Together’. 

See how Boola Katitjin supports Murdoch’s sustainability, equity, diversity and inclusion and First Nations peoples as we teach students at Murdoch in BBC's The Spaces That Shape Us.