Description

In 2012, the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Catholic Education Office had a vision to adaptively reuse the historic St John’s Evangelist School site in East Melbourne to become a Professional Learning Centre for teachers and principals within the Catholic Education system.

With the design by Woods Bagot, the centre features a series of flexible meeting and learning spaces housed within new and existing buildings.

Three existing buildings on the site are now part of the centre. The heritage Celtic Hall, the original former St John’s Church and the St John’s school building were refurbished and converted into new meeting and learning spaces. The local St John’s Parish Church is also used from time to time.

In addition, three new buildings connected by a covered walkway were inserted, connected through the spine of the complex. These buildings include two large conference spaces, a pre-function room, learning spaces, dining facilities and hotel accommodation.

What's On

Woods Bagot senior interior designer and a representative from the centre's operator, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), will take tour groups through the Catholic Leadership Centre's meeting and learning spaces. The Woods Bagot designer will speak to the design narrative and interventions made to the existing buildings during the 2012 redevelopment. A MACS representative will talk to the daily application of the spaces and how the design facilitates learning and collaboration.

In Collaboration With:

• 

  Mike Flanagan

  Mike is the manager of the Catholic Leadership Centre for Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools. With a background in hospitality and business administration, Mike brings a wealth of experience in building and nurturing highly effective teams, developing strategies to lift financial revenue, control costs, and create ideal operational efficiency and optimal bottom-line profit.

• 

  Kel Dennis

  With an accomplished capacity for environmental design, Kel provides a balance between innovative design and construction insight.  Awarded an Ian Potter Foundation Grant for his architectural work in Tibet and India, he has restored monasteries and designed educational facilities in the Indian Himalayas.

• 

  Sue Fenton

  Sue is a Woods Bagot senior associate with over 20 years’ experience across multiple sectors. Sue creates engaging spaces that provide a sense of identity and situate projects within their local and cultural contexts. Her process is driven by empathy and informed by rigorous research, site analysis and collaboration.