A world-class learning environment for the rising generation of students opens today in Hobart when the University of Tasmania officially launches The Forest, a new study precinct which exemplifies the best in contemporary educational design.
The reimagined Forestry building on Melville Street now offers a superb classroom and interactive study experience. It prioritises on-campus teaching, with spaces for presentations, seminars, large or small classes, group study sessions, and studying with friends.
While 300 staff and up to 3,000 students will be based in The Forest, all students and the community are welcome to use it as a study hub. Timetabled classes start in The Forest in late February.
The Forest is the Southern Tasmanian home of Humanities and Social Sciences, Business and Economics, Social Work, University College, the Tasmanian Policy Exchange, the Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment, and Higher Degree by Research students, as well as teams of professional staff.
Its two main floors are light-filled spaces for teaching, studying and connecting, with the central learning landscape furnished with 300 study seats.
The landmark entry dome on Melville Street has been landscaped with Tasmanian forest plants and is open to the public, with access through the building to Brisbane Street.
Next to the dome, space has been created for local businesses, industry and government to engage and collaborate with University students and staff.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black said The Forest would provide access to enhanced learning experiences and job opportunities for Tasmanians.
“With more students working throughout their studies, and more jobs in the future requiring tertiary education, The Forest provides a conveniently located hub to study and grow.
“It’s a place for the community to experience their university, either as visitors or as students. This is where students, staff, businesses, and community members can share ideas and experiences in a welcoming and accessible space for all.
“In The Forest, our commitment to face-to-face learning is clear. From the large classrooms to the comfortable study nooks, the building is a place for learning, where students spend time with their peers, teachers and the community,” Professor Black said.
From this year, 70% of the University’s Southern Tasmanian on-campus students will study in the Hobart CBD.
The Forest is 50 metres from the Hobart City Student Hub and student accommodation. It sits at the heart of the University’s connected campuses in the South, which include the STEM-focused campus at Sandy Bay, the Historic Campus on the Domain, and the waterfront campus, which includes IMAS Hobart and Taroona. The University’s UniHopper and free Metro buses connect the city and Sandy Bay.
The public is welcome in The Forest, and for a closer look at the building, the University is running guided community tours, available by booking here: utas.edu.au/forestry-building.
The Forest is a leading example of sustainable building practice
Through the reuse of original materials and the use of low-carbon construction methods, including timber and carbon-negative hempcrete, the building has achieved an estimated reduction in embodied carbon of over 40% compared with similar-sized developments. Embodied carbon is the total CO₂ emissions associated with building materials and construction processes throughout the lifecycle of the project.
For the past four years in a row, the University of Tasmania has been rated as the number one university in the world on climate action. The University has made a commitment to world-leading sustainability outcomes, and The Forest delivers on this commitment.
The building’s sustainable materials, including Tasmanian oak for structural columns, beams and panelling, carbon-neutral bricks and hempcrete, were primarily sourced locally. The Forest contains the largest commercial use of hempcrete in the Southern Hemisphere, with the University working closely with local producer X-Hemp to scale its production for the project.
Redevelopment of the site commenced in 2023 and was delivered by builder Hansen Yuncken, employing over 1,000 local tradespeople and contractors, including apprentices and University alumni.
Drawing inspiration from the original award-winning Forest Dome by Robert Morris-Nunn and working closely with the University, architecture firm Woods Bagot has created a space that honours the site’s heritage while promoting openness, warmth and connection. The building has already been recognised as one of the most forward-looking architectural projects in the world, receiving the World Architecture Festival award for World Future Education Project of the Year in November 2024. The Forest’s landscaping is by Realmstudios.