The Mercy Centre, Catholic College Wodonga

The Mercy Centre at Catholic College Wodonga is a refurbishment of an existing Technology Centre into a purposeful and fluid learning space that focuses on fully supporting the learning culture of Year 12 students. 

Project Details

Architects
No. 42 Architects and Engaging Spaces

Award
Winner, Cateogry 3 Renovation.Modernisation over $1m

Address
Bowman Court Wodonga, VIC 3680 Australia

Submitter
Ken Woodman

Cost
$1.5M

Photographer
Erin Davis-Hartwig

Project Overview

Understanding the social and learning culture of senior year students and staff at Catholic College Wodonga was the principle focus of No. 42 Architects during the early stages of the design process for the new Senior Centre. This process culminated in a design that fully supports the variety of learning needs experienced by a senior student during the final years of college life. A range of spaces were created including:

• Didactic teaching spaces,
• Group learning studios
• An innovative group learning space
• A short term delivery area
• Seminar rooms
• Open team booths
• Four incubator enclosed pods
• A silent study area
• A library node
• Three accessible staff zones
• Open support staff stations
• Incidental meeting points
• Kitchenette, toilets, and relaxation areas

These areas are linked by a fluid promenade zone that encourages accidental interactions with standing height whiteboard tables and soft couches. Staff spaces are not isolated but part of the community fully supporting the senior students in their hours of need. The innovative group work space was been developed to be highly flexible and inventive with curtains and hinged whiteboard walls to allow rapid spatial manipulation. A staged area, data projection, soft large couches and lying platforms, and walls of whiteboard together with only four high mobile tables and stools complete the highly interactive space.

Drawing on his PhD on Re-Placing Flexibility, Ken Woodman developed an arrangement that enabled teachers and students to freely move within the space to find the environment that best supported their teaching and learning. Spaces are planned to be bookable rather than operating with a fixed timetable.

The tiered seating area for short term delivery is semi enclosed with a shear and a heavy curtain opening onto the Promenade area creating an intimate theatrette when closed and a space to present to the whole 180 student cohort when open. There are a number of booths that encourage open collaborative group work with TV monitors for laptop connection and soundtube audio technology that limits sound to the table that is working with the technology.