Kosloff Architecture saves energy with radical re-skinning of 1960s block
Kosloff Architecture breathes new life into a modernist block with its redesign of a 1960s part of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia

Derek Swalwell - Photography
Monash University is located in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton. Founded in the late 1950s, the campus has a strong architectural presence, with structures such as John Wardle’s new Learning and Teaching Building, Lyons architects’ Green Chemical Futures building, and the Biomedical building by Denton Corker Marshall. The university’s School of Biological Sciences building dated back to the first tranche of modernist structures in Australian architecture put up in the 1960s. Kosloff Architecture presented a bold refurbishment plan, which was picked instead of outright replacement.
The new façade steps down to ground level
Re-use and reconfiguration are becoming an increasingly essential part of the architectural discourse. The 2021 Pritzker Prize winners, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, made their name through creative re-use, and more and more architects are calling for building stock to be retained and retrofitted to cut down on the vast carbon costs of demolition and rebuilding.
The entrance portal, designed in collaboration with Callum Morton
Working alongside the artist Callum Morton, Monash Art Projects (MAP), Norman Disney & Young (NDY), Wood and Grieve Engineers, and Arup, the architects steered a project that blends an aesthetic overhaul with a complete upgrade for the building’s services and environmental performance. The new façade is composed of angular blocks, creating a dynamic form in the heart of the campus.
This façade was installed over the existing structure, which was then demolished from inside, an approach that saved time, money, and significant disruption. The new ‘curtain’ of faceted blocks hangs down to just above ground level, where it is ‘lifted’ to reveal a layer of custom glazed bricks, stepping up behind the bold trumpet-like entrance.
A new gallery showcases the university’s art collection
This striking orange portal was created in collaboration with Callum Morton, and leads to a new gallery of Monash University’s art collection, as well as providing student access to biology and psychology labs, classrooms, lecture halls, and offices. Inside, exposed concrete frames are paired with splashes of bold colour.
The new façade has significantly improved the building’s insulation and running costs. Julian Kosloff and his team believe this strategic approach to refurbishment is best suited for busy sites like universities, where ageing infrastructure, limited funds, and the need to avoid disruption make a solid case for this kind of energy-saving intervention.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Fluid workspaces: is the era of prescriptive office design over?
We discuss evolving workspaces and track the shape-shifting interiors of the 21st century. If options are what we’re after in office design, it looks like we’ve got them
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This collection of slow furniture is a powerful ode to time
A serene exhibition of David Dolcini's 'Time-made' collection has fast-tracked its place into our hearts and homes
By Ifeoluwa Adedeji Published
-
Is the Pragma P1 the most sustainable watch yet?
Geneva-based brand Pragma combines industrial design with real sustainable credentials
By Hannah Silver Published
-
A contemporary retreat hiding in plain sight in Sydney
This contemporary retreat is set behind an unassuming neo-Georgian façade in the heart of Sydney’s Woollahra Village; a serene home designed by Australian practice Tobias Partners
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Join our world tour of contemporary homes across five continents
We take a world tour of contemporary homes, exploring case studies of how we live; we make five stops across five continents
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Who wouldn't want to live in this 'treehouse' in Byron Bay?
A 1980s ‘treehouse’, on the edge of a national park in Byron Bay, is powered by the sun, architectural provenance and a sense of community
By Carli Philips Published
-
A modernist Melbourne house gets a contemporary makeover
Silhouette House, a modernist Melbourne house, gets a contemporary makeover by architects Powell & Glenn
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A suburban house is expanded into two striking interconnected dwellings
Justin Mallia’s suburban house, a residential puzzle box in Melbourne’s Clifton Hill, interlocks old and new to enhance light, space and efficiency
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Palm Beach Tree House overhauls a cottage in Sydney’s Northern Beaches into a treetop retreat
Set above the surf, Palm Beach Tree House by Richard Coles Architecture sits in a desirable Northern Beaches suburb, creating a refined home in verdant surroundings
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Year in review: the top 12 houses of 2024, picked by architecture director Ellie Stathaki
The top 12 houses of 2024 comprise our finest and most read residential posts of the year, compiled by Wallpaper* architecture & environment director Ellie Stathaki
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A monolithic house in rural Victoria celebrates 50 shades of grey
Adam Kane Architects’ monolithic house in rural Victoria, Grey House, is ‘a testament to the power of simplicity and harmony’
By Léa Teuscher Published