2020 – WINNER, Playspace Award under $0.5M, Parks and Leisure Australia Awards of Excellence VIC/TAS
2019 – FINALIST, Education & Research, Sustainability Awards
6 Star Green Star – Design & As Built
Co-located with Bellaire Primary School, the Highton Child and Family Centre is an integrated child care facility providing a range of programs, including kindergarten, playgroup and maternal and child health services.
The building aims above all to be a welcoming and comfortable place for children and families. The separation between indoor and outdoor space is further blurred with the exterior walls of the building in the early stages of ‘greening’ by Boston Ivy creepers.
Sustainability has been worked into every stage of the building process from ensuring steel was responsibly sourced for the building’s frame, to designing above Australian standards in an effort to ensure the building can adapt to future climate shifts. Minimising the use of externally supplied energy and water was a particular priority of the project leading to the use of solar panels, stormwater re-use in the garden and toilets and highly water-efficient fittings.