Children’s Court Facilities – L9, 223 William Street
ARCHITECTURE
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LANDSCAPE
Children’s Court Facilities – L9, 223 William Street
Guymer Bailey was contracted to design Level 9 of the William Cooper Justice Centre (WCJC) as part of the Implementing Youth Justice Reforms initiative to address the closure of 436 Lonsdale Street due to the building upgrade, which Guymer Bailey was also a part of.
The new Children’s Court facilities were designed with the needs of young people, children, and their families in mind. We provided a therapeutic and culturally welcoming environment, as well as design principles based on flexibility, accessibility, and therapeutic engagement. We devised a versatile layout that includes three Courtrooms with integrated technology for hybrid and online hearings, Registry and staff workspaces, interview rooms, public waiting areas, and a children’s waiting and play area.
Full acoustic treatment was mindfully designed to spaces surrounding the public waiting and children’s play areas adjacent to the interview and meeting rooms. To make the space more appealing to children, we used bright colours and themed areas for easier passive wayfinding.
Stage A works included the refurbishment and extension of an existing two-storey classroom block as well as the construction of a new covered walkway through the centre of the school.
PROCESS
Working in collaboration with Architectus, Guymer Bailey provided design for the custodial areas of the Shepparton Law Courts as well as input into resolving the complex circulation paths throughout the building.
METHODOLOGY
The brick building base honours the memory of the older country court houses, while the new five-storey courts building provides a contemporary expression for the open and transparent delivery of justice. This continues through to the lobby, which is inspired by the ancient River Red Gum, and provides a warm welcoming meeting place.
TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND
The Woiworung People
COMPLETION
2022
LOCATION
Melbourne, Victoria
CLIENT
Court Services Victoria
PROJECT CONTACT
PHOTOGRAPHY
Ian ten Seldom Photographer
VALUE OUTCOMES
“GB-A were an absolute pleasure to work with. The team on site and in the office never cut corners and were committed to delivering a very high quality project.”
Jim Spainard, Golburn Enterprise
Designing for a sustainable future is a core part of our organisational philosophy. Drawing on the knowledge from our Greenstar accredited team members and specialist consultants in environmentally sustainable design, we ensure our project teams integrate creativity with scientific rigour, to create designs that are conscientious of the natural environment and local ecology. Designing for a sustainable future is a core part of our organisational philosophy.
PRINCIPLES OF PASSION
During the design process, our project team not only considers the physical context of the designs but also examines the social and cultural context. Through every design, we look for ways to inspire positive attitudes, behaviours and emotional responses in people to encourage the responsible use of resources, increase cooperation among occupants, and communicate the values of society and cultural diversity.
Designing for a sustainable future is a core part of our organisational philosophy. Drawing on the knowledge from our Greenstar accredited team members and specialist consultants in environmentally sustainable design, we ensure our project teams integrate creativity with scientific rigour, to create designs that are conscientious of the natural environment and local ecology.
We design built environments from a holistic, sustainable perspective: each project reconciles ecological and social impacts within the current economic climate. We holistically evaluate environmental, cultural and financial sustainability in every task we undertake.