Thank You and Season's Greetings

We take this opportunity to say Thank You and acknowledge to all those who have been supporting, contributing and participating at various levels and stages in our probono service in the past year.

We wish to acknowledge the generous support to all our clients, business members, members, and and consistent hard work of the service providers and the probono team, in the following projects,

Brad Hooper (director of Brad Hooper Architect) and Brookes Thorne (interior Designer & Lecturer at Swinburne University), service prodier of Laverton Community Centre and Neighborhood House,

Julia Mardjuki, Fitzroy Learning Network,proposed kitchen extension

Deborah Salvagno, coordinator of East Timor Women Association - proposed weaving centres in Timor Leste

Rita McMillan and David Mazzotta, Craigieburn Education & Community Centre

in Rebuilding Bush Fire affected communities - thanks to the probono team, members expressed interest in contributing to the rebuilding process, and all those took part in the exhibition in Words@ Bldg50 in Nov 2009

and many thanks to our business members for their continuous support in probono services.

Merry Christmas to all of you, we wish you all a fruitful and peaceful 2010.

the probono team

Carlton Primary School Renewal: by WEBB+

The Architects for Peace pro bono team is committed to supporting and promoting built environment professionals working for the good of the community. We sincerely believe that good design is a right rather than the privilege of an elite few. The pro bono service was set up with the aim of providing a network for those many of you out there - architects, engineers, designers - either having already provided your services free of charge to a deserving cause or seeking a way to do so. The following project - a facelift for a disadvantaged primary school - is just such an example. Recently undertaken by WEBB+ (formerly NHWEBB) on a pro bono basis, it came about independently of the arch-peace pro bono service. We are delighted to welcome WEBB+ as a business member of Architects for Peace.

The story of Carlton Primary.....

In line with our social responsibility commitment, WEBB+ (formerly known as NHWEBB) approached Carlton Primary School with the intention to initiate a community exchange program. WEBB+ hoped that the school, one of Melbourne’s demographically most disadvantaged, would be able to utilise our skills in a way that would enhance School Life in some way.

We met with the Principal of Carlton Primary School, Julie Large, and the Environment Teacher, Chris Burgess, and learned that the school, initially designed to accommodate 700 students, was originally developed from remnants of the neighbouring Housing Estate.

Vesna Rak-Dusanovic of Webb + writes:

The school now has a population of only approximately 90 students, 100% of whom live in the neighbouring Housing Estate, and a vast majority (95%) being from a non-English speaking background. Many are refugees from African nations such as Somalia.

Julie felt that one of the major issues contributing to low enrolment was the common perception that the school was a part of the Housing Estate. There was a strong desire to visually separate the school from the Housing Estate by altering the appearance of the building so that it could be clearly identified as a school.

As a result of early discussions, design options were prepared by WEBB+. The most affordable option, involving painting the facade, removing metal screens from the windows and screening rubbish bin enclosures, was implemented by the school. Further improvements (potential Stage 2 works) could be achieved through strategic introduction of landscaping to “soften” large concreted areas and structures (for example, locating planter boxes in between concrete columns on the ground floor), provision of opaque natural material screening to the existing transparent wire fence around the site perimeter, facing the neighbouring housing estate, and incorporation of decorative graphic panels (scaled photographs of school activities) to be applied to the face of the building to display the rich “internal life and activities” of the school to the “outside world”.

The project has been a great experience for the WEBB+ team. The enthusiasm of students and staff was inspirational, and the results we achieved together gave us great pleasure and a real sense of achievement and contribution to the community.

The School has already received very positive feedback about their “new look”. We are hopeful that these and further improvements will raise the School’s image in the community and result in higher enrolments in the future.

Testimonial from Julie Large – Principal of Carlton Primary School:

"Working with Webb+ has been a really positive experience for the school. It enabled us to think differently about our school building and grounds and to employ the expertise of WEBB+ staff to discuss our particular challenges and needs. The changes that have been made to the school building and surrounds have received positive comments from all sections of the school community as well as members of the general public."

Download more information and images here

For more information about the school: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~carlcomm/index.html
And about WEBB+: http://www.webbplus.com.au/ - Intro

STAFF INVOLVED:

Kathy Hoar – Office Manager
Vesna Rak-Dusanovic - Project Leader
Tim Webb – Graphic Design

This project was not faciliated by the arch peace pro bono service but represents the experience of one of our members. Do you have a pro bono experience to share with us? We'd love to hear from you! Please direct enquiries to probono@architectsforpeace.com.au.

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