The Melbourne University Research Team
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Ms Clare Newton, with a background in the teaching and practice of architectural construction and design, will negotiate collaboration between the design professionals and teachers. |
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Dr Dominique Hes, focusing on the environmental outcomes, will develop monitoring strategies (for the student cohorts) with the doctoral students attached to the project. |
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Professor Kim Dovey's background in social critique of space and discourse analysis will support a social research framework to complement the environmental, functional and educational evaluations. |
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Dr Kenn Fisher (Rubida Research) is recognised internationally as a leading educational facility specialist, and currently an expert advisor to the OECD on school design. His expertise and experience in both school and university sectors will assist the focus on the collaboration between the design professions, students and teachers. |
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Dr Sue Wilks' background in education and curriculum design will support the research interventions. Her focus, as research associate, will be the use of buildings as 3D textbooks in curricula. |
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Mr Ben Cleveland - secondary school teacher - will complete his doctorate from his disciplinary perspective as a member of this team. |
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Mr Ken Woodman - architect - will complete his doctorate from his disciplinary perspective as a member of this team. |
The key partners, the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the Victorian Government Architect from the Department of Premier and Cabinet understand that excellence in the built environment needs to be nurtured through better collaboration between architects and educators. Leading architecture firms will be participating proactively. This research will also be relevant to providers, designers and stakeholders of schools outside this state. Opportunities for improved communication between schools and architects regarding the requirements of transformational school design will be identified, as will the requirements for educating teaching professionals about how to best utilise modern learning spaces.
The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development recognises the value of this research project for their strategic planning. Representatives will be involved in the project throughout the 3 years and will play a leading role within the Research Steering Committee. In addition it will provide the researchers with access to key staff and documentation. It views this project as Stage One of a ten-year ongoing process of linkage research where existing schools, school refurbishments and relocatable classrooms will be studied.
The design architecture firms have committed resources to work collaboratively with teachers and students on creative space usage during post-occupancy stages. It is unusual for architects to be involved in the day-to-day operation and management of their facilities after occupation. The argument for taking a proactive approach to their involvement is that students and staff need training and support in managing the environmental aspects of innovative buildings and in using space creatively. At least three of the four case study buildings will be selected from schools designed by the partner architects. The architecture firms have contributed cash to support teaching relief to enable teachers to work with architects.