Laverton Community Centre + Neighbourhood House

Laverton Community Centre + Neighbourhood House




LCCCNH is a not for profit Neighbourhood House managed by the local community which offers family support, social and educational activities to all sectors of the Laverton community, especially disadvantaged community groups.

The Neighbourhood House provides adult training in a variety of areas including cooking, language and computer skills. These programs have been of assistance to new immigrants settling in the area as well as other individuals and families.

The original building is a small house designed in 1975. Currently, 5 staff members work in a cramped space with very little storage. The meeting area is the front 'lounge room' which doubles as their lunch room and main storage area.

LCCCNH require an architect or interior designer to assist them with a grant application under the Modernising Neighbourhood Houses Program. They require assistance in clarifying their space requirements and how the interior can be reworked to accomodate 5 workers, volunteers, a private meeting room and lots of storage.

Grants between $50,000 to $80,000 are available and the application must be submitted before March 2nd 2009.

If you are interested in undertaking this project please email kalli@architectsforpeace.org for more information.

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）

discussion about the need to offer pro bono work

I found the following discussion about the need and, as argued by some, obligation to offer pro bono work--what do you think?
Find this discussion here