FMSA Architecture has designed Australia's first Centre of Learning for Family Violence, in response to Royal Commission recommendations. 

Located in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley, the recently-opened facility houses Australia's first scenario training and simulation spaces dedicated to training those on the front line of family violence. A landmark project, the building is a product of academic research and key recommendations delivered in the 2016 Royal Commission into Family Violence. 

Currently, findings suggest that response to family violence can take up to 40-60 per cent of front line police time and in 2018, there were around 79,000 reported family violence incidents. 

The Centre of Learning for Family Violence includes contemporary training facilities and a first-of-its-kind Family Violence Simulation Centre, presenting a realistic suburban environment including a bedroom, living room, kitchen and front yard. 

Centre of Learning for Family Violence interior

Driven by a need for flexibility, the training room is designed to accommodate a wide range of scenarios and demographics using movable room dividers, props and sensory techniques such as a dog barking or a loud TV, to act as distractors for trainees to improve their response. 

Fully equipped with contemporary systems for live streaming, the centre gives academic facilitators the ability to conduct assessments without interrupting the scenario, while rural officers can also participate in training remotely. 

FMSA Architecture director Greg Anson believes the level of realism offered in the centre's specialist training facilities will become a pivotal direction for many organisations in the future. 

“Having designed specialised practical training facilities for industry and traditional educators, we understand the positive impact of the built environment, combined with emerging technologies can have on the way training is delivered," he says.

“The Centre of Learning for Family Violence is a primary example of how collaboration with specialist consultants can add value to the curriculum. By applying the principles of environmental psychology, we delivered a carefully designed environment that supports the ongoing effectiveness and safety of the trainees and educators.”