The ANU design unit: design awareness in the modern university 1954-1977

Abstract

For a short period, between 1954-1977, ANU embraced a concept of 'total design' with the creation of an ANU Design Unit - an internal office of designers - a facility unprecedented in the University sector. Their primary aim was to furnish the offices, labs, lecture theatres, meeting rooms and libraries with functional pieces unique to the requirements of the University. However, the role of the Design Unit in this period was far broader than furniture, with the team creating a University campus that was cohesive in its aesthetic, and was integrated with the rest of Canberra and the Griffin plan. Derek Wrigley, the University's former Architect/Designer, details the history and the evolution of the ANU Design Unit, and reveals the importance of design awareness in the modern university.