In response to the Banyule City Council’s request for a concept design of a Child and Family Centre on the site of the Charles La Trobe College, Olympic Village Campus, peckvonhartel have prepared a design proposal to be delivered as part of a Design and Construct contract. The new facility is to meet the growing community needs for child care and maternal and child health.
The new Olympic Village Learning Hub will provide learning facilities for children of preschool age for the West Heidelberg and surrounding community. The facility is to contain a maternal and child health service, a multipurpose community meeting room, toy library and staff offices.
The two kindergarten rooms are each licensed for 33 children. The rooms are planned to ensure visibility from all corners of the playroom. Adjacent to the playrooms is a large north facing play ground with activity based play area designed into the landscape.
The design intent was to create a natural community environment that is responsive to the existing urban streetscape, providing safe and accessible hub for the local community. The rooms have been orientated to maximise passive surveillance of the community forecourt and the building entry. This forecourt extends the use of the new building to the streetscape, with a community vegetable gardens acting as a site attractor.