We are thrilled to announce that Hayball’s Braemar College Stage One has received the prestigious Henry Bastow Award for Educational Architecture at the recent Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) VIC Chapter Awards.
The project provides a stand-alone Middle School and celebrates education and social interaction while responding thoughtfully to the College’s rural context. It centres around communities of learners within a ‘learning landscape’ of interconnected spaces, a design that delivers a highly efficient, fluid arrangement, connecting general learning and specialist spaces via a central learning common.
Jury citations for the project acknowledged that “the form making mediates the ubiquitous aggregation of learning spaces by tapering and stepping of large gable roof, shadow elements wrapped in charcoal coloured metal cladding. There is a manipulation of perspective and scale, which is sympathetic to the rural setting
And; “this is sophisticated architecture that responds to its context. The masterplan forges key visual relationships with geography and climate. True place-making has been achieved here inside and out by a collaboration of client and architect working together to develop and execute a vision.”
We are delighted to receive this recognition, for ourselves, our clients, the school stakeholders and particularly all the students who are benefiting from changes in how teaching and learning is delivered.
Australian Institute of Architects ‘named awards’ are the highest accolade in a given category. Each named award bears the name of an architect whose contribution in a particular area of design is still highly regarded. The HENRY BASTOW Award for Educational Architecture is named after Henry Bastow (1839 – 1920) who was a Victorian Architect and Surveyor for the Victorian State Schools Division, and guided major Victorian education infrastructure development until 1894, designing more than 900 school buildings and creating templates for that could be adapted to meet the specific environmental needs of individual schools.
The 2019 Victorian Architecture Awards attracted 248 entries across 14 categories. From 89 shortlisted entries, 66, including Hayball have been recognised with named awards, architecture awards and commendations. Now, alongside the other Victorian Chapter winners, Hayball will advance to the National Architecture Awards, announced on November 7.