Designed by Brand Architects, Korayn Birralee Family Centre in Corio, Geelong is a state-of-the-art learning and child care facility for local families.
The name, Korayn Birralee, means ‘Corio children’ in the local Wadawurrung language.
The centre houses kindergarten, long day care, maternal and child health, specialist family support services and consulting rooms, all interconnected by a central thoroughfare.
Each children’s room has its own identity via a designated colour theme.
The centre also includes administration areas, a toy library, a commercial kitchen, a community lounge, gathering spaces, an external play area, and a connection to the neighbouring Northern Bay College as an acknowledgement of the transition from kindergarten to school.
As a 6 Star Green Star rated project (design and as-built), the building incorporates environmentally sustainable design.
Sustainable features include a rammed earth wall that acts as the spine of the building, energy-efficient design, rainwater harvesting and reuse, PV solar array, and materials including carpet tiles and linoleum flooring made from recycled content.
The building complements its local environment with a mostly neutral colour palette.
The dynamic form and roof planes act as gestures to the local You Yangs mountain range, and further evoke a sense of connectedness to the wider surroundings.
The external play area by Ochre Landscape offers a sensory learning experience with elevated walkways, sandpits and a raised water rill acting as both tactile and visual feature pieces to enhance nature play.
A large eel trap replica – designed and constructed in consultation with the local Wadawurrung community – greets visitors at the building’s entry and allows children to journey through its structure on their way to and from the centre.
Project Awards
2021 Learning Environments Australasia VIC/TAS Chapter
Joint Winner – New Construction / New Individual Facility Over $8 million
2021 Sustainability Awards
Finalist – Education and Research
Project Details
Completion Date – 2020
Project Team
Architecture
Brand Architects
Brand Architects is a Melbourne-based practice focused on the delivery of innovative, environmentally, and socially responsible architecture.
Photography
Rachael Dere
Blue Tree Studios is led by its two principals, Rachael Dere and Joseph Feil, and the team consists of six photographers and three videographers with in-house retouching and editing skills.
Photo Gallery
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Design © 2022 Brand Architects. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2022 Rachael Dere. All Rights Reserved.
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