UNSW Fitout Manual

A CGI visualisation demonstrating how UNSW retailers can interpret and apply the Fitout Guidelines within a high-traffic campus food court setting.

A Unified Retail Framework for a Connected, Evolving Campus

#Australia
#Future Concept
#Sydney
#centre guidelines


UNSW’s Kensington campus operates as a small city—dynamic, densely populated and constantly evolving. Within this environment, retail plays a critical role in shaping daily life, supporting students and staff through a mix of food, services and essential amenities. Design Clarity was engaged to deliver a Retail Fitout Manual that would bring structure, clarity and consistency to this diverse ecosystem. Our task was not to design individual spaces, but to articulate a unified set of standards that ensures every new or refurbished tenancy contributes meaningfully to the campus environment.

The manual consolidates and simplifies expectations across planning, design, operations and compliance. It sets out the standards for tenancy layouts, sightlines, circulation and accessibility to guarantee that operators understand how their spaces must function within the larger campus network. It establishes clear rules for services integration, ensuring exhaust, hydraulics, waste, fire and mechanical systems are managed efficiently and without compromising safety or amenity.

Material selection, lighting logic and signage hierarchy are addressed in detail, giving tenants a practical framework that supports durability, visual cohesion and UNSW’s broader identity. The guidelines introduce a structured approach to storefront transparency, façade treatments and activation, ensuring individual brands can express themselves while maintaining a consistent streetscape across campus precincts.

A strong emphasis is placed on outdoor trading, sustainability and long-term maintenance. The manual provides operators with precise requirements for furniture types, shade elements, equipment placement, waste minimisation and energy-efficient solutions. These principles ensure the campus remains functional and visually coherent while adapting to changing patterns of student life.

One of the core achievements of the document is its clarity. It translates complex operational considerations—including back-of-house logistics, deliveries, fire egress, acoustic control and grease management—into accessible guidance for tenants of all scales. This helps minimise ambiguities during approvals, reduces delays in shop development processes and supports better collaboration between UNSW’s internal teams, external consultants and incoming retailers.

By providing a comprehensive yet practical tool, Design Clarity has strengthened UNSW’s ability to curate a high-quality, future-focused campus experience. The Retail Fitout Manual creates a shared language for stakeholders, enabling retail environments that are functional, adaptable and aligned with the university’s vision. Ultimately, it ensures that every new tenancy enhances the everyday experience of students and staff, contributing to a campus that is cohesive, welcoming and resilient as it continues to grow.

The core output of Design Clarity’s appointment as Retail Design Managers for UNSW. It distils complex technical, operational and branding expectations into a single, authoritative reference that supports consistency, safety and quality across every campus retail environment.

The UNSW Fitout Manual consolidates technical, operational and aesthetic requirements into a clear, campus-wide standard for all retail refurbishments and fitouts.

The UNSW Fitout Manual consolidates technical, operational and aesthetic requirements into a clear, campus-wide standard for all retail refurbishments and fitouts.

A vibrant UNSW setting that anchors the Fitout Manual in real student experience.

A vibrant UNSW setting that anchors the Fitout Manual in real student experience.

UNSW’s retail precincts support a diverse mix of users—local and international students, academic staff, researchers, and campus visitors. The Fitout Manual therefore needed to offer more than compliance rules: it had to articulate a design ethos that supports inclusivity, accessibility, and seamless integration with the wider campus environment.

Rather than prescribing architecture, the guidelines establish a consistent framework for how retail and hospitality operators integrate within UNSW’s public realm.

Rather than prescribing architecture, the guidelines establish a consistent framework for how retail and hospitality operators integrate within UNSW’s public realm.

The informal rhythms of daily life at UNSW: students gathering, studying and moving between destinations. It illustrates the lived environment that Design Clarity’s fitout guidelines support—an active, connected campus requiring consistent, intuitive and cohesive retail and hospitality interfaces.

This spread outlines the spatial framework that underpins the UNSW Retail Fitout Manual. It maps the university’s primary retail precincts and summarises forthcoming development activity, ensuring tenants understand the broader campus ecosystem their fitout must respond to.

An early spread introducing UNSW’s key retail zones and future development areas.

An early spread introducing UNSW’s key retail zones and future development areas.

A CGI scene illustrating how the UNSW Fitout Manual translates into a cohesive, flexible hospitality environment.

A CGI scene illustrating how the UNSW Fitout Manual translates into a cohesive, flexible hospitality environment.

This render showcases the practical application of the UNSW Fitout Manual, depicting a lively, student-focused food and beverage setting. It highlights how the guidelines support coherent spatial organisation, intuitive circulation and a welcoming atmosphere that balances commercial functionality with a consistent campus identity.