Showcasing the latest in interactive teaching spaces

The WZ Building, AUT’s new Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences centre, offers an innovative new teaching environment for students in the heart of Auckland.

Gone are the days of stuffy lecture theatres and closed office doors. Today’s modern teaching spaces are designed for student interaction, flexibility and inspiration. The design of the WZ Building was driven by the need to provide excellent infrastructure and facilities that embrace technology, encourage collaborative experiences, and generate new ways to learn.

In a world where education can happen anywhere and is just as likely to take place in a virtual space as a physical space, AUT saw an opportunity to create something different – the ability for students to engage directly with the building structure and systems as a method of learning.

Environmentally sustainable design is firmly embedded in the building through high efficiency building services. But it’s the incorporation of engineering principles into the design, and being able to display new technologies using aspects of the building, which makes this project unique.

Exposed sections of the building’s structure and services offer students a window into its inner workings and provide practical examples to support engineering theory. As well as traditional lecture theatres, a gallery and a café, Flexible Delivery Laboratory (workshop) areas enable students to work on practical projects.

A highlight is the Project Studio – an open plan learning space which showcases HVAC design. Live energy data from two types of modern system are displayed within the studio for viewing and research.

Whether it’s structural, HVAC, electrical or lighting design, the WZ Building provides exciting learning prospects for future students!