Froebel Carlton is located within the Melbourne Connect precinct in the heart of Carlton. Accommodating 92 children, Froebel Carlton is a vital amenity serving parents of this purpose-built precinct and neighbouring residents and workers. With a focus on innovation the precinct aligns with the Froebel vision of “best practice and curious for next practice”. This vision served as an underlying design principle guiding the design from initial spatial relationship studies through to material and fittings selection, including the landscape design conceived in collaboration with Openwork.
The design ultimately seeks to create a collection of diverse spaces defined by a timber latticework super-ceiling and supporting a broad range of experiences for children, encouraging curiosity, exploration and growth. The centre is Australia’s first vertical early learning centre located within a hybrid engineered timber (CLT) building and serves as an example typology for the future of early learning in urban environments.