Construction works on the six storey building for the ANU Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS) have recently commenced, with further changes in Ellery Crescent traffic arrangements, barricades and fencing around the site as the first signs of the project that will take around 18 months to complete.

The new home will collocate more than 650 staff and students from the research school who are currently scattered throughout 10 buildings. The building will provide school community space for social, political and economic debates and will facilitate interaction and learning across several disciplines. By bringing the school into one location in the centre of the Acton campus, the new building will support collaborative and multidisciplinary research in an effort to create a dynamic learning environment.

The project will deliver more than 12,000m2. The building includes open and cellular offices, modern teaching and learning spaces, a large flexible auditorium and an innovative public forum area; collectively culminating in a world-class physical resource for researchers, staff and students to continue their outstanding work. Connections with campus heritage and history will be preserved by paying homage to not just the Pauline Griffin Building but also other buildings from the same period through integrating and including a number of original Pauline Griffin elements and motifs.

In the following months, as the work progresses, Facilities & Services will work with the ANU community to ensure minimal disruptions for the University. We ask the community to be mindful of the changes in pedestrian circulation and traffic arrangements around the site, especially due to its proximity to some of the busiest areas on Acton campus, the Pop-Up Village and Kambri.