Places for Learning

This Year the LEA Victorian Chapter are creating sibling podcasts to compliment the in-person site tours.Thank you for Joining us for this episode about Wurun Senior Campus.You will be hearing from Chris Millard the Principal of Wurun Senior Campus and Key members of the Design team; Paul Thatcher and Martin Palmer from GHD Woodhead and from Jason Embley, and Alexandra Griffeth from Grimshaw.

One of the best times to influence the outcomes of the built environment is in the planning phase. At the start. When you can push ideas about with the least risk, before a cent is spent, before a single minute is wasted in construction. It seems strange, but one of the key insights emerging from applied research examining effective inclusive learning spaces is that there are key knowledge-holders not being consulted at the time of design. That those with on the ground knowledge of the impact of space, equipment, layout and everything in between, are not at the table at this critical juncture. At the point where their influence could be biggest. We have collected three influential voices to share insights and aspirations, disasters and tips for the design and use of learning spaces for inclusive education. Lew Schrale - APA Paediatric Physiotherapist and Special Education TeacherBec Davis - Teacher at Vision ServicesSonja Vanderaa - Independent Trauma and Behaviour Consultant

Indigenous culture responds to and shapes this land through deep and reciprocal relations with Country. Contemporary designers might think of it placemaking, but this is inadequate in a traditional framing. Still, it will need to do. Architecture, and education architecture in particular, is exploring its role in giving expression to indigenous culture. Can it honour Country? How can it be guided by knowledge holders? Most importantly for non-Indigenous listeners, how might this be done with care, responsibility and sensitivity?Thank you to Kathryn Coff and Jesse Judd for your insights into this topic.Find out more about their work at:https://nalderun.net.au/https://armarchitecture.com.au/

This is supporting material for our Shepparton Road Trip, provided by Ben Cleveland, for our St Anne's Kialla site visit.Listen to Ben's interview with No.42 Architects Principal, Ken Woodman, before exploring St Anne's Kialla.

Schools as Community Hubs draws on the Building Connections research project from LEaRN at University of Melbourne. Thjs episode establishes the nature of schools as community hubs across Australia and the world, explores the risks and impacts of existing projects. In the expert chairs:Associate Professor Ben Cleveland (UniMelb)Associate Professor Ian McShane (RMIT)Dr Pippa Chandler (UniMelb)Read more about the Building Connections project.You can find Learning Environments Applied Research Network hereAnd here is the Urban Research Centre at RMIT