Monash University’s XO Dining merges informal learning spaces with social dining to create a space for enriching the student experience and university community.
Providing tertiary students with comfortable, functional and well-designed spaces encourages them to spend more time on campus. Outside of the classroom, students can socialise, collaborate, discuss, connect and study in informal environments that enrich their learning experience and help foster a stronger community.
At Monash University’s Clayton campus, XO Dining, designed by Kosloff Architecture, is a new campus space that has reimagined the university cafeteria by merging informal learning spaces with social dining.
At the heart of the university campus, XO Dining is located in what was a dark, cavernous and under-utilised space. Kosloff Architecture removed all internal walls and ceiling finishes to open up the space and allow sunlight to filter inside. The modernist hit-and-miss brick façade of the Hargrave Andrew Library, of which XO Dining occupies the ground floor, inspired the textural brickwork on the interior and exterior of the space, and complements the industrial nature of the building exterior.
Large swathes of glazing and openable façade further connect XO Dining with its surrounds, as do the herringbone-patterned brick flooring. The brick was also selected for its longevity and minimal-maintenance requirements, as was the exposed concrete ceiling and timber-lined walls and booth seats.
XO Dining has been designed to provide functional spaces for individual students, small and large study groups, informal lectures, staff meetings and large-scale events. The floor plan is divided into various zones of occupation with an array of furniture typologies catering for these modes and differing durations of stay.
Bar tables and stools allow for casual interactions; larger share tables with dining chairs provide for study groups and meetings; cosy seating nooks encourage students to linger; and lounge chairs with low tables and ottomans promote relaxation. The variety of furniture also allows the space to be adaptable for hosting different events and activities without the need to remove or bring in furniture.
It’s not just inside that the space fosters engagement, but the building itself has been designed to address the external environment and varying times of the day. “By opening up the façade to the garden, the easterly aspect favours morning coffee drinkers or patrons eating lunch amongst the garden; while a northern coffee servery window serves midday passers, and the south-facing façade hosts banquette seating addressing the plaza,” says Emily Chalk.
Monash University wanted XO Dining to be the “jewel in the crown” of dining on campus. “It now serves as a magnet for students, staff and visitors within the campus.” And proof that it has been embraced by students and is conducive to campus life, it’s usually hard to find a seat. “That is the best possible testimony to its success in our opinion,” Julian says.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
A hospitality venue in the heart of Osaka comprising four dining options – a place where nostalgic pastimes meet high-end dining.
Third in the series of boutique hotels under the Lloyd’s Inn brand, Lloyd’s Inn Kuala Lumpur bring the immediacy of nature to the new high-rise hospitality experience in the heart of a bustling city.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Swiss home appliance designer and manufacturer V-ZUG’s first Sydney studio is a unified expression of the brand’s boutique, sustainable and design-led identity.
Leading the charge for sustainable design, X+O and Nudie Jeans are both making a statement in Brisbane and doing it with creativity and innovation.