DesignInc is thrilled to announce that the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership has won the Minister’s Award at the 2022 Victorian School Design Awards.
The winning project, known as ‘The Academy’ is a $16.8M fit out of a heritage building in Melbourne’s Treasury precinct, designed with innovation at the forefront; creating spaces which can be reconfigured to adapt to varied learning styles. This unique project is a place for training educators who work in Victoria’s schools.
Accepting the award, DesignInc director Christon Batey-Smith said “We are delighted to see this project celebrated as it pushes the standard of education design and looks towards the future. Congratulations to everyone involved, it’s a great achievement.”
The Academy’s learning and teaching spaces reflect the range of settings that teachers encounter in contemporary education; including blended, face-to-face and digital learning models. Integrating adaptability and transparency is a core value of the project. This is achieved by incorporating flexible spaces that support a range of learning modes from individual learning, small group collaboration, large group/lecture settings and theatre-based spaces, to remote learning settings.
The concept of excellence was inspiring. We anticipated that these leaders will be the future of teaching, so the centre needed to have the scope and flexibility to adapt and change, because teaching itself and pedagogy is constantly changing.
Jane Sayers
Principal, DesignInc Melbourne
The Academy program is already evolving. With this flagship building as the foundational inspiration, DesignInc are developing seven regional campuses across Victoria. The additional locations will make advanced professional learning accessible to more educators, benefitting school children and young people across Victoria.
Opened in early 2022 by former Minister for Education James Merlino, the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership (the Academy) creates opportunities for educators across Victoria to develop and share their expertise.
As of the 2019–20 financial year, our Melbourne studio has been entirely carbon neutral in our operations.
Two of our recent projects—Ultimo Public School and Ramlegh Park Primary School—have been recognised in a range of 2022 awards, cementing DesignInc as leaders in education design.
Moreland Mayor Mark Riley officially opened the Hub with a speech, following a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony.
