A historic heritage building in Hobart which previously served as the headquarters of Forestry Tasmania has been transformed into a world-class learning environment following a major redevelopment.

(image: Woods Bagot)

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has opened ‘The Forest’ after a three-year, $131 million renovation.

Set to accommodate 3,000 students and 300 staff, the building forms a key part of UTAS’ rapidly expanding Hobart CBD Campus.

It will serve as the Sothern 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.

Features of the redeveloped building include:

• Two main floors which offer light-filled spaces for teaching, studying and connecting, with the central learning landscape furnished with 300 study seats.
• Reinstatement of the indoor urban forest that was previously housed beneath the glass dome, which has been landscaped with Tasmanian forest plants. This forms the civic heart of the precinct and reestablishes a pre-colonial ecosystem within the city through ethically sourced mature trees and visible water systems.
• Space for local businesses, industry and government to engage and collaborate with students and staff next to the dome.
• Organisation of space into six typologies. These include focused study zones, ‘alone together’ spaces, public collaboration areas, private collaboration areas, relaxation quarters and places for meeting others.
• Sustainability strategies such as retention of approximately 60 percent of the existing material within the new structure and selection of low carbon materials including timber and carbon negative hempcrete where new materials were required. Partly because of this, the building achieved embodied carbon reductions of 40 percent compared with similar-sized developments.
• A demountable design that will enable the university to adapt the interior environment as teaching needs change.

(image: Woods Bagot)

Situated on Melville Street, the heritage listed Forestry Building in Hobart has long-standing connections with Tasmania’s forestry industry.

Upon opening in 1922, the previous Forestry Building was established to support the Tasmanian timber industry and featured a 1930s-era brick warehouse building.

After originally being owned by the privately owned Crisp & Gunn Corporative, it was sold to the state government in 1968.

After that it was used by the State Emergency Service and State Fire Commissions (1971 to 1994) before serving as the headquarters of Forestry Tasmania from 1994 until 2017.

A major redevelopment in the 1990s saw the addition of a 22-meter dome shaped observatory.

However, the premises was vacated in 2017 and sold to UTAS in 2018 after Forestry Tasmania suffered a year of large financial losses.

The opening of the redeveloped building also comes as the UTAS is undertaking a significant relocation in terms of its Southern Tasmanian campus from Sandy Bay in Hobart’s southern suburbs into the Hobart CBD.

From this year, 70 percent of the University’s Southern Tasmanian on-campus students will study in the CBD.

Originally, the university had intended to move its entire campus from Sandy Bay to the CBD.

However, these plans were scaled back in 2024, and the Sandy Bay Campus remains the home for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics courses.

The new building is located only 50 meters from the Hobart City Student Hub and student accommodation.

The building was delivered by Hansen Yuncken and was designed by Woods Bagot.

The landscaping was performed by REALMstudios, whilst the hemp was supplied by local producer X-Hemp.

As many as 1,000 local tradespeople and contractors were employed on the renovation. This included apprentices and University alumni.

(image: Woods Bagot)

UTAS 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,” Black said.

“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.”

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