Wednesday 19 October – Friday 11 November 2022 5.00pm (AEDT)
Where
Design Speaks Virtual Portal
Virtual Event
Tickets
Ticket sales for this event are closed.
Program Info
As a driver for opportunity and independence, education has the potential to advance society as a whole and is an important investment for our future. So, how can architecture create learning environments with equity, community and longevity at their core? In this edition of Old School / New School, we hear from leading practitioners, researchers and educators from Australia and abroad as they discuss and interrogate architecture’s role in the future of education.
Header Image
Wangaratta District Specialist School, Benalla, by Sibling Architecture. Image courtesy of Sibling Architecture.
Program.
Get Smart: Designing Spaces for All Learning Capabilities Whether you are a visual or an auditory learner, or a student with or without a disability, the purpose of education remains the same: to gain knowledge and skills for everyday life that can lead to wide-ranging opportunities. In this session, we ask how architects can design spaces that cater to the diversity of learning types and capabilities. Speakers will present case studies and insights to discuss the importance of inclusivity when designing a learning environment.
Presentations Amelia Borg, Sibling Architecture (Melbourne, Vic)
Fiona MacDonald and Matthew Springett, Matt and Fiona (London, UK)
Dr Peter Walker, Australian Association of Special Education and Flinders University (Adelaide, SA)
Dissection An hour-long panel discussion with Amelia Borg, Fiona MacDonald, Matthew Springett and Peter Walker.
Moderator: Dr Kellee Frith, Architectus (Melbourne, Vic)
Amelia Borg is a co-founding member and co-director of Sibling Architecture, a collaborative award-winning architectural practice working across residential, civic and commercial projects in urban and regional areas, with a focus on producing socially engaged outcomes.
Grounded in a research-driven studio environment, the work of Sibling often extends to self-initiated projects that explore the impact of the built environment on our societies. These projects have been supported through grants including the Alastair Swayn Grant and Creative Victoria.
Fiona MacDonald is a co-founder and director of Matt and Fiona, based in London. She trained in architecture and has over 10 years of experience working in cultural learning and outreach for Open-City, the RIBA and the Design Museum, where she is currently head of learning. Fiona leads tailored engagement for children and young people – ensuring the co-design process has strong learning outcomes for all.
Matthew Springett is a co-founder and director of Matt and Fiona, based in London. He is an ARB qualified architect with his own practice, MSA Ltd. Matthew also works as a senior lecturer and teaching fellow at the Bartlett, University of Central London.
Through architectural education, Matthew connects disciplines that do not always intersect: students, architects, engineers and construction workers – creating robust, achievable and award-winning architecture.
Dr Peter Walker has worked in both general education and special school settings for over 20 years, both in South Australia and New South Wales. Following fiev years as a school principal, Peter returned to Adelaide to teach in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs at the School of Education, Flinders University. In 2016 Peter presented a Ted Talk at Tedx Adelaide on the theme of 'inclusive education' and in 2018 he was invited to speak at the Adelaide Festival of Ideas. He is the past national president of the Australian Association of Special Education (AASE) and current South Australian president of AASE. His current research interests include spatial research for inclusion.
Kellee Frith an in-house consultant for architectural practice Architectus, working as an education environments strategist. Kellee is passionately interested in education and the ways that people learn and teach. In particular, she wants to know how the design of physical learning environments can positively influence the learning experience and teaching practice. Kellee works closely with students, teachers and school communities to understand the kind of spaces and settings required to support them.
