Montagne Centre, Marist College Bendigo

The Montagne Centre, nestled over its adjoining wetlands forms the first buildings at Marist College Bendigo. Initially nurturing year 7 and 8 students the facilities are a hub for the school’s growing community and provide innovative and unique learning environments for its occupants.

Project Details

Architects
Y2 Architecuture

Award
Winner Category 2 New Construction / New Individual Facility

Address
Golf Links Rd Maiden Gully, Victoria 3551

Submitter
Matthew Dwyer

Cost
$6.1M

Photographer
Bill Conroy

Project Overview

Principal’s Comments:
The Montagne Centre is the first building at Marist College Bendigo, a new College designed to become a learning community for 1500 students. Marist provides an alternative approach to learning with student skill development as its focus. The building provides a range of learning spaces, which are flexible and reflect an adult working environment rather than a student learning space.

Because of the approach to learning Marist is adapting, it was impractical for the architect to produce something that was traditional in its design or even an adaptation of such. It was vital from the beginning that the architect was in close ongoing consultation with the Principal and Establishment Committee. This process over more than 12 months saw extensive consultations and redesigning of the facility as the Architect developed a greater understanding of the needs of this new learning approach.

Education is trying to adapt new approaches to learning. It is accepted that current traditional modes of teaching are not meeting the needs of contemporary students. The very definition of learning is being redefined. The greatest frustration for educational leaders is adapting traditional spaces to suit this revolution. Since opening, the Montagne Centre has become a beacon in this new world.

It is difficult to single out any particular exceptional feature as the entire building creates a flexible combination of a number of outstanding features. Our new learning model is intricately connected to the Studios, the Gallery, Think Tank, Reading Cave, Lounges, Meeting Rooms, Conference Rooms, Exploration Rooms and Gastronomy Area. The reality is the spaces have become the language of learning. And I haven’t even mentioned the outside spaces!

At Marist our learning motto is that students learn anywhere, anyhow and anytime. This places significant pressure on the building design as every space becomes a learning space. The Montagne Centre is a place of new and exciting learning and the building is simply perfect for this new era and philosophy. Our students could not learn as well in any school building I have seen in my extensive travelling in preparation to lead this new College.

Jurors Comments

The Montagne Centre for middle years students is the first of a series of new school buildings planned for the green fields site of Marist College, Bendigo. The form of the building and its relationship to the surrounding landscape demonstrate Y2 Architecture’s careful consideration of the needs of a new school community, the Marist Hermitage origins and symbolism as well as the challenges and opportunities posed by the site. Comprising two pavilions linked by a central gallery space the building is long and low. It hugs the edge of permanent wetlands created by Y2 Architecture with Three Acres Landscape Architects in an area of the site prone to flooding. On the east side of the Centre two timber decks and a small pier stretch out over the water helping to anchor the building to its setting. This aspect of the school, which is visible from the road, is a concrete expression of the philosophy of boundaryless learning fostered at Marist College.

The key pedagogical driver for The Montagne Centre design was the removal of physical barriers to learning experience in order to promote learning activity anywhere and everywhere. This is reflected in the variety of spaces and settings designed to support various modes of learning and student interaction, including food preparation, art and science investigations, private study and small group discussion. A high degree of transparency and visual connection plus a sense of physical freedom have been achieved within and between the interior spaces of the building via a system of glazed sliding doors and writable sliding wall panels. These can be opened, partially closed, or fully closed to expand or enclose specific spaces and settings as required for different activities. Large folding glass doors open onto outdoor learning spaces around the building including an under cover assembly area with tiered seating, an outdoor kitchen and dining area, and two deck areas overlooking the wetlands.

The wetlands environment is used as an outdoor classroom where students monitor the biology of the water. The deck spaces are tranquil social spaces perfect for relaxing, watching birdlife and listening to frog calls. They are also outdoor workspaces. Marist College selected workbenches on castors that can be wheeled out onto the decks when students wish to work outside. Inside the building there are opportunities for students to study its structural mechanics, which are revealed by exposed recycled timber posts, beams and roof trusses. The use of timber together with the rammed earth walls and perforated ply ceiling panels throughout bring material warmth to the interior spaces, and create a cohesive and neutral background for the colour and vibrancy of the students’ work and activities.
The overwhelming success of this building and its outdoor settings is their great potential to be adapted for specific projects and learning investigations. The Montagne Centre’s permissive design also means the building will to respond to the evolution of Marist College’s distinct culture as continues to grow and develop.