Ichthus Centre, Yrs 5 – 6 Learning Space St Monica’s Primary Wodonga

The Icthus Centre was designed to reflect and support the constructivist pedagogical approach of the progressive teaching staff at St Monica’s Primary, Wodonga. It provides a diverse range of interlinked learning settings that interact visually and physically. Students flow smoothly between these settings finding places that satisfy their learning needs.

Project Details

Architects
Ken Woodman No. 42 Architects

Award
Commendation – Category 2 Renovation/Modernisation of School/Major Faciity

Address
137 Brockley St, Wodonga, VIC 3690

Submitter
Ken Woodman No. 42 Architects

Cost
$400,000

Photographer
Rob Lacey

Project Overview

The leadership team and Years 5-6 teachers at St Monica’s Primary School are extremely progressive in their educational approach and pedagogical delivery. No. 42 Architects worked with these educators and the whole school community to develop a learning space with a range of interlinked learning settings designed to support individualised constructivist learning. Taking its name from the Christian fish symbol, the heart of the architectural plan is a fish-shaped Ichthus glass bowl with transparent walls that permit views into and through the space creating a visually connected learning environment. Encircling the fishbowl is a range of purposeful learning spaces that support distinct learning modalities. Three large group areas provide opportunities for collective instruction, workshops, and group work. These spaces are acoustically distanced from each other by the central bowl and a small glass meeting room. This and the other meeting room provide spaces for individual quiet work, small group noisy project work, reading recovery, or student/teacher conferences without separation from the learning community. Each of the large group areas have a built-in couch and storage but are not identically furnished, instead they have a range of arrangements to support different teaching and learning requirements.  Bold colours and a range of different furniture types are used throughout the environment to emphasise the individual characteristics of each learning setting.

The inextricable link between pedagogy and space evident in the design of the Ichthus Centre is the result of detailed interrogation of the pedagogical environment the teachers wished to create. During the process Ken Woodman discussed the design with teachers, students, and parents. Prior to final occupation of the building he explored the ways each setting could be used with the teachers. 

Assistant Principal Jacqui Partington said “My original view that space was just a facilitator of teaching and learning has been significantly challenged. I could not have imagined that the space created by Ken Woodman would have transformed our teaching and learning to such a degree. The pedagogical hum that is present in this building is an indication of the physical environment meeting the student’s learning endeavours.”