Great Hall on the horizon

The Connections Precinct is on track for Homecoming 2027,  giving alumni a first look at the Great Hall

13 July, 2026
By Ken Robinson
Photos by Cavan Flynn, video by Tim Delmastro
4 minute read

Builders have reached a major milestone in one of the most significant construction projects in Bond University's history, with the Connections Precinct just one year from completion. If everything goes according to plan – and it has so far, despite persistent rain – the precinct will provide the backdrop for Homecoming 2027, with alumni playing a central role in the celebrations.

The Connections Precinct will be a new home for the Bond Business School and the Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine's Medical Program. Importantly, the precinct will house a Great Hall, an aspiration first set at the university's founding but not realised until now.

 "Our alumni are incredibly excited to see this vision come to life," Director of Alumni Relations Ramya Shami says.

 "It's a milestone made possible through the generosity of our community, and Homecoming 2027 will be the perfect chance for alumni to return to campus and experience it for themselves."

Nearly four decades in the making

 For graduates who remember the university's early years, the skyline is already looking very different.

The Connections Precinct rises over the highest point on campus with views stretching to the lake and Burleigh Heads, and spans 18,000 square metres – three separate buildings under a single roof.

The Great Hall was first sketched out by original architects Daryl Jackson and Robin Dyke as part of the university's founding master plan.

For nearly four decades, that vision sat on paper while graduations, balls and major gatherings made do with the university’s indoor sports centre.

With space for 1200 people, the Great Hall will finally give alumni returning for reunions and milestone celebrations a purpose-built venue befitting the occasion.

Connections Precinct architect Kent Exell of Architecture XL says the hall's foyer has been designed to be a destination in its own right.

“It's got a great foyer with skylights and natural lighting, designed to work almost like an art gallery, replicating the amazing art spaces Bond already has on campus,” he says.

Born out of a pandemic

The decision to build the Connections Precinct had its roots in the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When border closures in 2020 prevented some students from starting Medicine on schedule, Bond introduced a second yearly intake so they could begin in September instead of waiting a full year.

That extra intake became permanent, helping meet both the pandemic-era need for frontline clinicians and the country's longer-term demand for doctors as its population ages.

But with medical student numbers on track to exceed 1200, the university faced the challenge of how to grow without losing the small-group teaching style graduates remember as central to their Bond experience.

The Connections Precinct became the answer.

A first for Australia

Currently spread across three separate sites – its original building, the FinTech Hub and the Centre for Data Analytics – Bond Business School will be consolidated in the new precinct alongside the Medical Program.

It is believed to be the first time a business and medical school will share a single roof in Australia, driven by the idea that the health sector increasingly needs graduates who understand both clinical care and how to run the systems around it.

Beyond the headline spaces, the precinct will include an anatomy lab double the size of the current facility and 33 clinical skills rooms, along with state-of-the-art simulation labs and flexible teaching areas.

The university's trademark sandstone will carry through the new buildings, tying them visually to the rest of campus.

The architect Mr Exell says the material was chosen deliberately rather than simply for tradition's sake.

“We've used it to mark the thresholds of study and to celebrate and enclose the Great Hall, to celebrate the culmination of studies,” he says.

Roughly 250 additional car parks will be added to support the growth.

Sustainability features prominently too, with rooftop solar panels are expected to generate 490kW, enough to power around 50 homes.

Long-time university partner ADCO Constructions is leading the project, and the site is doubling as a live classroom for students in construction management and related disciplines.

The project is self-funded by the university, though philanthropic support is being sought specifically for the Great Hall.

“The Great Hall will be an inspiring facility for the Bond community, and we have growing support from our community to help build it.  We welcome all of the Bond community to be part of," Executive Director of Advancement Brett Walker says.