The project commenced in 2014, and continued over six years. The final garden instalment was completed in 2019. Initially, the project team engaged the Aranda Residents Group, gaining support for, and input into, the proposed revitalisation. The third-year class of the University of Canberra Architecture and Design school was invited to collaborate on the design, with the project offered as an assessment piece. This project included a broad community consultation process. The spirit of many of these designs were implemented within project budget constraints, and some of the final assessment designs are still exhibited in the building today.
The internal floorplan was driven by practicality and budget. Initially the project has almost no funding, so it was necessary to open as fast as possible, in order to pay for construction bills. The existing spaces and the project team’s equipment were used to expedite the opening.