A research initiative undertaken by Billard Leece Partnership (BLP) and the Port Melbourne Secondary College (PORT) community is assisting in the practice shaping the nation’s schools of the future.

Titled 7&Up, the program will run for a duration of six years and include staff and students. Based loosely upon the British documentary Seven Up, BLP will connect with the same student group, currently in Year 7, on a yearly basis until they graduate in 2027.

PORT sits a kilometre south of Melbourne’s CBD, with its multi-storey, vertical form cited as the future amongst schools nationwide. The aim of the research project, in collaboration with the school’s principal, Anne Stout, is to track and compare how the students feel and interact with the building and how these might develop over time as their learning needs change.

“We designed the school to accommodate a foundation Year 7 intake, ensuring that the school had the capability and capacity to grow year-on-year until that first cohort completes their learning journey at the end of Year 12,” says BLP Principal and Learning Spaces and Communities Lead, Emily Gilfillan.

“By checking in with the same group of students over their time spent at PORT, and understanding the school through their experiences, we can learn what we are doing well and what adjustments can be made in the future to ensure time spent at school is equally educational and enjoyable.”

PORT BLP

PORT’s connection to the local community is seen as a major influence to the research. Built before the community that now reverberates around it, Gilfillan sees the opportunity presented before the practice as unique.

“As the region grows over the next six years, the community’s involvement in the research project will be invaluable,” she says.

“We want their input on the practical performance of the school, we want to hear how it’s perceived in the broader area.”

The data collected from students, staff, and the school community at-large will assist BLP, collaborators and government partners evaluate the performance of the built environment at Port Melbourne, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately shape the schools of tomorrow, which BLP calls Translational Design. The research will form the educational design manifesto of the practice well into the future, at a time when the language is evolving constantly.

“Our research will help identify whether our design at PORT suits the developing learning preferences of the current educators and student cohort,” says Ariel Lopez, BLP Principal & Project Director.

“We’re poised to learn a lot from this research and look forward to establishing a genuine connection with students, teachers and the wider PORT community.”

For more information, visit www.blp.com.au.

Jarrod Reedie

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