Laverton Community Centre and Neighbourhood House - one year on

A year after the project was completed at the Laverton Community Centre and Neighbourhood House we visited the to see what benefits the project has brought to its local community.


LCCNH is a not for profit and very proactive organization that runs several programs for disadvantaged people in the local area. According to Michael Pernar, CEO at LCCNH, the pro-bono services provided were instrumental in obtaining State Government funding to finance the project. The design proposed included an office space that accommodates 5 workers and a new classroom that meets the current standards. A relatively modest reconfiguration of the interior has resulted in a greatly improved space for staff to continue to deliver key services to the community.

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Timor-Leste's weaving centres

East Timor Women Australia (ETWA) is a Melbourne based, not for profit organisation and run by volunteers. They provide and organise community oriented programs to support East Timorese women, particularly in the handcrafts industry. They aim to give women the opportunity to make real the benefits of sustainable handcrafts enterprises and, through the richness of weaving, help them maintain cultural integrity.

Three community weaving centres are proposed on 3 separate sites in remote villages on the eastern tip of the island of Timor Leste. Two centres will be located in the mountainous sub-district of Iliomar, in the villages of Fuat and Cainliu, and one in the flatlands of central Los Palos. The Architects for Peace probono team was first approached in April 2009. Debra Salvagno and Taryn Lane, representatives of ETWA, embarked on their annual weaving tour shortly afterwards and at the same time gathered site and land information for these building projects. ETWA is now in the process of drafting a design brief including a design information package with maps, site photos and information on local building technology and materials, for the future architect's reference.

A video clip showing how the women weaves can be viewed here.

ETWA has received support for materials from Rotary and is also working with the Alternative Technology Association to raise funds for solar panels in the three community weaving centres.

The draft design brief will be ready by October and we look forward to proceeding to the next stage of this fascinating project.

Our next step will be to advertise for pro bono service providers with expertise in sustainable building design. Although we are only at an early stage in the process, this is an exciting project that we hope will ultimately help to start a new chapter in the lives of the East Timorese women in these remote villages.

Queries of this project can be emailed to probono@architectsforpeace.org



photos courtesy : ETWA

Laverton Community Centre + Neighbourhood House

LCCNH is a not for profit Neighbourhood House managed by the local community. It offers family support, social and educational activities to all sectors of the local community, especially disadvantaged community group.

LCCNH  applied for a community grant to assist them in upgrading their current premises.  They currently operate from a small house with minimal storage and inadequate space for their 5 staff members.   The rear of the house contains classrooms where adult training is provided. Courses include cooking, English language and computer skills. 

A pro bono service provider was required to assist LCCNH with their grant application. Architects for Peace Pro Bono assisted in matching two applicants, Brad Hooper & Brooke Thorne, to assist with the grant application.  Brad Hooper (director of Brad Hooper Architect) and Brooke Thorne (interior designer & lecturer at Swinburne University) formed a team and worked with the client to produce initial concept drawings and an opinion of probable costs for the project.

The client was then able to incorporate these documents into their grant application.  The grant application was submitted at the start of March 2009 and we are awaiting a response. 

The team that was formed between Brad and Brooke was a great example of how architecture & design firms can team up with graduates and students to support each other and help provide pro bono services.  The skills of both service providers complimented each other.  As well as being an architect, Brad's previous experience as the Chair of the Management Board at the Port Melbourne Neighbourhood House meant that he understood the complexities of such projects and organisations.  Brooke's passion for pro bono work, interior design background and drawing skills assisted in providing design input and relevant drawings to the client.    

Project Updates - South Sudan Education Project

The Australian Good Samaritan College Project addresses two major challenges in South Sudan; improving the quantity and quality of female school teachers and encouraging girls to remain in school and obtain a formal education. It is estimated less than 1% of girl's complete primary school in Sudan and after more than two decades of civil war the College is an opportunity for women who are returning home, to train locally, obtain new skills and receive an income.

The AGSC site is located in Wau, South Sudan. The project brief was to provide facilities for a women's learning centre focusing on training primary and secondary school teachers. The college will include eight classrooms to accommodate two-hundred students, adjoined to operational facilities including administration offices, kitchen and dining facilities and office space for teaching staff. It will also provide boarding facilities for approximately one hundred and sixty students, making it possible for women to reside on campus and eliminate long journey's home everyday.
















The master plan is derived from the inside out. The meeting hall is the heart of the college functioning as the main gathering space for meals, assemblies and activities. The courtyards are designed for smaller informal gatherings offering shade, intimacy and familiarity. The built form is orientated towards the meeting hall and is bound by a continuous verandah to maintain access all year round.




The Rufisque Women's Centre, Senegal is a benchmark project for its architectural clarity, as well as its integration of local and recycled building materials.



A water tower is located above the kitchen to store rainwater for drinking, amenities and irrigation depending on rainfall. The service facilities are located outside the building ring including parking facilities, a security office, an orchard and vegetable garden. The entire site is fenced to prevent wild animals from entering.

The master plan allows for the construction to be staged over time depending on available funds and any potential future expansion


Retain local palms
(Pheonix sp.) on site
and use to create
entry statement.

..... .....

example of water tower to harvest

rainwater for clean drinking water,

amenities and irrigation

(St Judes, Arusha Tanzania）