Fresh air enters the theatre through a plenum under the tiered seating and is distributed to the occupants through vents along the tiers. A waterfall, directly above the air intake louvres to the plenum, creates rainfall-sized drops and spray mist for evaporative precooling. The water is supplied from the rainwater tanks in both the School and Teaching Complex and is cleansed in a small wetland for reuse in the system. The high thermal mass of the concrete floors and roof, and rammed earth and concrete walls of the earth-covered theatre absorb thermal energy and thereby passively contribute to the temperature control of the building. An automated night purge cycle removes stored heat and flushes out the space with fresh cool outside air.
Hydronic pipework is embedded in the concrete tiers and the stage.
The embodied energy content of the campus buildings is estimated at less than half that of the cavity brick, tiled roof, aluminium window buildings typically constructed by the university. Life cycle maintenance costs are expected to be significantly lower than a conventionally serviced building, particularly as there are no major mechanical services plant installations.