Western Heights College
Western Heights College has pioneered a different approach to learning.
There are learning communities of 100-120 students and six or seven teachers. These communities can operate independently and each has been supported with their own dedicated facilities.
Specialist areas are integrated with the learning communities too.
Shared Community facilities are in the school and are open to the public. They include: Community Library, Vines Road Community Centre, Seniors Club, Sporting facilities and a central Civic Plaza.
This makes Western Heights College unique.
Project Details
Architects
Patrick Architects P/L
Award
Winner Category 1 – New Educational Facility Construction / Entire Educational Facility
Address
37-61 Vines Road Hamlyn Heights, Victoria 3215 Australia
Submitter
John Patrick
Cost
$33.6 Million
Photographer
Rhiannon Slatter
Project Overview
LEARNING COMMUNITIES OF 100-120 STUDENTS
There are learning communities of 100-120 students and six or seven teachers. There are no classrooms with 25 students and one teacher. These communities can operate independently and each learning community has their own:
– Learning areas that can be easily reconfigured
– Collaborative area
– Da Vinci Studio – an art, science and projects area shared between each two communities
– Einstein Studio – a more informal area for thinking and learning in a library-like environment
– Socratic studio – a conference space
– Small Group room
– Kitchen and Wet area
– Student and Staff Toilets
– Store room
– Large covered outdoor learning areas
– and most importantly their own Staff
All students and staff participate and contribute to one another’s learning. There is very little instructional teaching. Collaborative learning is the focus. The flipped classroom approach is widely adopted and encouraged.
SPECIALIST LEARNING COMMUNITIES
The specialist areas are integrated with the learning communities and they are:
Design Arts Technology integrated with two learning communities of 100-120 students
Science Learning Community integrated with two learning communities of 100-120 students
Performing Arts Food Learning Community immediately adjacent to performing arts, drama, music, lecture theatre, hospitality, food technology and training cafe
SHARED COMMUNITY FACILITIES ARE IN THE SCHOOL AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Western Heights College is also unique because there are shared community facilities and community organisations that are in the same buildings and on the same site. These include:
Community Library that is shared with the students and the public
Vines Road Community Centre which operates day and night and has some 40 user groups. The centre includes flexible multipurpose rooms, a function Hall, an information technology resource centre, meeting rooms, and a fitness centre
Seniors Club
Sporting facilities including a high standard oval and high standard netball courts which are shared with the community and the adjoining Bell Park Sport and Recreation Club
Civic Plaza – The College has a central plaza, Hamlyn Plaza which is highly visible from the main road and forms the civic interface with the community. The main building adjacent to the plaza includes the shared Library, Cafe, Community Centre and Seniors Club and it is in the most visible location. The focus at the end of Hamlyn Plaza is the Performing Arts Food centre which opens out onto a stage and a grassed amphitheatre. It also has training Cafe which opens onto the plaza
Juror’s Comments
In meeting the Aims of these Awards, the Jury believe that this Category 1 project, Western Heights College, best demonstrated comprehensive effectiveness in all criteria.
The planning process adopted by the Western Heights College and the designers, is an excellent example of a thorough, early and inclusive process bridging a gap between educators (the School) and the community.
The outcome was a shared vision driven by the school’s pedagogical philosophy and new approach to learning in “Learning Communities of 100-120 students with 6 or 7 teachers” and the community’s desire to share and jointly fund additional facilities with the school. A clearly articulated Master Plan formed a solid basis for proceeding with this collaborative approach.
Continued questioning of the vision, learning goals, curriculum and organisation led to a “needs assessment” review which teased out many requirements for the design solution.
Architecturally the spaces allow for a wide variety of teaching and learning approaches, providing for connectedness, flexibility, ownership, collaboration and direct links to staff. Most “learning community” core spaces are directly connected to specialist spaces. Colour and finishes have been appropriately considered along with acoustics to provide a pleasant bright, light, airy and spacious place for students and teachers to work. Amenity has also been considered both internally and externally using appropriate ESD principles.
The Jury considered Western Heights College to be a very worthy winner celebrating an architecturally pleasing, functional education and community initiative designed to improve student learning outcomes, thus reflecting the CEFPI Mission “to facilitate the relationship between Learning and Place”.
