2025 Awards

Congratulations to the winners, commendations, and all entrants of the 2025 Learning Environments Australasia Design (LEAD) Awards!

Announced during the Awards Dinner at our 23rd Annual Regional Conference, LEA 3001: A Learning Space Odyssey, in Brisbane | Meanjin Queensland, the 2025 LEAD Awards recognised outstanding learning environments across Australasia that exemplify innovation, purpose driven design, and powerful collaboration between architects, educators, and communities.

Congratulations to the 2025 LEAD Awards Overall Winner – Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, Scientia Terrace, a project thoughtfully designed by Hayball, with photography by Martin Mischkulnig. This exemplary project stood out for its clarity of vision, educational impact, and refined design execution.

A citation excerpt from our jury:

“The Scientia Terrace is an exemplar of educational interdisciplinary collaboration supported by and reflected in the architecture of the Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College project. The “Terrace” sits elegantly within the existing campus connected by a circular lawn that references its history of place.

The expectations of the school were gathered at the start of the project and were stated to have been surpassed at the end. The Post Occupancy Evaluation ranged from the immediately practical to the philosophical and demonstrated that the building was valued for its educational and social uses, its inspirational beauty, and its potential to be further developed in the future.”

This year’s program featured 70 entries across eight award categories, submitted by our members throughout Australasia. Each submission reflected a deep commitment to designing spaces that inspire and support future focused learning. From new campuses and transformative modernisations to outdoor learning environments and small yet impactful projects, the calibre of entries in 2025 was truly exceptional.

As LEA’s flagship “Regional” awards, the LEAD Awards continue to honour projects that demonstrate exemplary alignment between pedagogical intent and spatial design. The breadth and creativity of this year’s entries once again illustrated the powerful outcomes of cocreation between teachers, educators and designers – learning environments that not only serve their purpose but elevate the learner experience.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our 16 volunteer jurors, whose time, expertise, and dedication enabled the awards program to showcase excellence in educational design. Judging such a strong and diverse field is no small task, and their insights were invaluable in recognising the most impactful projects across the region.

Thank you also to every entrant for your passion, creativity, and the effort involved in sharing your work. Behind each submission lies a story of deep consultation, vision, and teamwork. These awards would not be possible without your continued contribution to our sector.

Each awarded project showcases not only high quality design but a deep respect for pedagogy, culture, identity, and place. This year’s winners reflect the remarkable diversity of educational design across the region – from early years centres to universities, inner city vertical schools to bushland outdoor learning zones.

Throughout the #2025Odyssey conference, delegates explored this year’s entries through the visual gallery on display and engaged with the concepts and stories behind each space. These spaces are more than buildings – they are living examples of how design can transform how we teach, learn, connect, and grow.

All projects entered into the 2025 LEAD Awards are featured in the beautifully curated 2025 Contemporary Learning Spaces book, which is available now via the LEA Online Store. This publication is a must-have for educators, designers, and anyone passionate about the future of learning environments.

To our winners – congratulations on this well deserved recognition. To all who entered – thank you for continuing to challenge and inspire us. Your work shapes the future of learning across Australasia.