Dandenong is a pretty tough suburb in Melbourne's outer south-east suburbs. Statistically it's the most disadvantaged urban area in Australia. Three local high schools were amalgamated to create a single 'super-school' at Dandenong High School. With over 2100 students with a mind-blowing ethnic and cultural diversity (something like 68 different languages spoken at the school), a new architectural response was required to realise the potential of these students and of the site. Hayball has mitigated the size of the combined campus and created a 'student-focused' learning environment by planning seven discrete SWIS (School Within a School) buildings that are not organised on the traditional school model. Instead, each building houses a cohort of 300 students able to work across multiple disciplines, encouraging 'ownership' of their school. This creates more intimate spaces, where students can feel safer and less anonymous. The project also provided the case study for the AGBR ‘Green Star’
Education pilot.
Initial post-occupancy feedback has indicated an improvement in discipline and learning achievement, and a reduction in truancy, vandalism and behavioural problems. The new facility has given the famously diverse Dandenong
community a focal point for renewed optimism in the potential of its youth.
