We are thrilled to announce that three of Hayball’s recent education projects; South Melbourne Primary School and Braemar College in Victoria as well as Domremy College in NSW, have all been recognised at the prestigious Learning Environments Australasia Excellence in Educational Facilities Awards.
South Melbourne Primary School, Victoria’s first vertical state school was awarded twice on the night, declared overall Winner from a field of 85 entries from across the Asia Pacific as well as picking up a second award in the New Construction/Entire New Facility category for its “successful integration of educational pedagogies, community values and architectural design philosophies”. A fantastic endorsement for vertical schools generally, as well as a timely recognition for our forward-thinking client, the Victorian School Building Authority.
The judges also noted that the school challenged design standards to “deliver a vertical school that sits within a public plaza… a rich and rewarding spatial experience for the whole South Melbourne community.”
Braemar College Stage 1, a new campus that celebrates education and social interaction while responding thoughtfully to its rural context, received a commendation in the New Construction/Entire New Facility category reflecting “a strong collaboration between the Architect, the College and other stakeholders in the success of this project.”
And Sydney Catholic Schools Domremy College Solais Sandpit, a prototype learning space designed to support and enhance the school’s vision to enable more student-centred learning, picked up two awards in the Renovation/Modernisation category and the Innovative Educational Initiative category, noted by the judges as “a space that transforms the concept of ‘classroom’ to an ‘environment for learning’ where authentic collaborative and creative interactions are valued.”
At the awards ceremony, Learning Environments Australasia chair Chris Bradbeer said, “The schools honoured in LEA’s Awards are fantastic examples of what can be achieved when educators, architects, students and the community work together to shape our schools.” And we couldn’t agree more. Hayball has been working at the forefront of education design and research for over 36 years. We are delighted to receive this recognition of our work, for ourselves, our clients, school staff and particularly all the students who are benefiting from the changes in how teaching and learning is delivered.