JPC Kindergarten Wins Australasian Award

A kindergarten which celebrates children’s resilience and independence has won an Australasian design award.

John Paul College’s new kindergarten building and extension has jointly won Overall Winner in the 2020 Learning Environments Australasia Awards for Excellence in Educational Design.  The project imaginatively reflects the principles of Reggio Emilia, an Italian approach to teaching and learning, within an Australian context.

Reggio Emilia is an early learning education style that values children as capable and resilient, rich with wonder. It emphasises hands-on discovery learning that allows children to actively engage all their senses, guided by educators rather than directed. The kindy environment was intentionally designed to be like a ‘third teacher’ (after the teachers and students), supporting the children’s imaginative capacities to express themselves in many ways.

Deicke Richards led and designed the project in collaboration with Aspect Studios (landscape design) and the passionate team at JPC. Thanks to our client, Bligh Tanner (civil & structural engineers) and Dr Megan Gibson from QUT for contributing early childhood and Reggio Emilia education expertise.

Learn more in our case study.

Photography by Mindi Cooke.