Jury citation
The Carlton Learning Precinct COLA (covered outdoor learning area) is an outstanding success story born out of perceptive and sensitive problem-solving. This small project clearly punches above its weight and demonstrates by example the value of good design.
A small school gymnasium project became a much larger urban solution – a welcoming front door to the school and an open invitation to the community. The strength of collaboration between Law Architects and the stakeholders is clearly evident. The brief was to raise the school’s profile, increase student enrolment and stem the “white flight” within the broader geographic area.
Existing buildings were extensively reconfigured to support Carlton Learning Precinct’s leadership in combining early learning, family services, community facilities and primary school. The whole-of-early-years approach to health, wellbeing and education enables families to connect from the time of a child’s birth through to the end of their primary school years. The elegant, cost-effective solutions knit together landscape, play space, community heart and architectural expression.
Project credits
Architect Law Architects; Project team Sandy Law, Katherine Peasley, Jenni Webster, Stephen McKay, Barde Gregory, Celine Soniega; Builder Building Engineering; Project manager RPS; Quantity surveyor Wilde and Woollard; Educational research consultant LEaRN, The University of Melbourne; Building surveyor Philip Chun; Structural and civil engineer Calibre Consulting; Services and acoustic consultant Cundall; Waste engineer Irwinconsult; Fire engineer Omnii; Landscape consultant Three Acres Landscape Architecture; Green wall specialist Fytogreen; Signage Nexus Design; Kitchen designer Chris Love Design; Land surveyor Smith Land Surveyors.
Carlton Learning Precinct COLA is located in Carlton, Victoria, on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.
