Learning spaces that welcome and inspire – we visit Carlton libraries

Yesterday we chose to go out and visit libraries as part of a curriculum day. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to step out of our own environment and take a good look at how other libraries, educational and public places create their spaces and cater for clientele. Not only is getting out a good thing to do in terms of getting some fresh air and exercise and mixing up the environment, but it also helps open up the mind to new ideas and different ways of doing things.

What a gorgeous day to visit Ormond College which is located in green, leafy grounds of Melbourne University. We stopped to appreciate the beautiful sandstone buildings before heading inside to explore the Academic Centre and libraries.

In recognition of the quality of the spaces created, the Ormond Academic Centre received three 2012 Victorian Architecture Awards in the categories of Interior, Heritage and Alterations to Public Architecture.

All that lovely warm wood and texture of the lines!

Natural light contributes to a sunny disposition when settling down to study.

We loved these magnetic Dewey signs.

Must get some of these large open book stands.

If only we could afford these beautiful chairs!

  

Oh look! An eBook by Alexander Sheko. Any relation….?

Always good to notice small details like these perspex sign holders – the small one perfect for (you guessed it!) small signs.

A bit of humour amongst all the serious stuff.

Time to move on. Onwards towards the Melbourne School of Design.

Marie, you’re such an exhibitionist.

Hmmm…. I wonder how much it would cost to rent this little cottage.

Coming from the back and around the side of the Melbourne School of Design. Interesting mix of old and new.

The unique transparency of the space supports the vision of a pedagogical building. Exposed materials and structures, such as the underside of the Y-Stairs, give insight into construction techniques and fabrication. Features such as the steel mesh balustrade and open top gallery allow for sight-lines and transparency between levels. Embedded in the design is a commitment to sustainability and green architecture.

The Melbourne School of Design building has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star Design – Education Design v1 rating by the Green Building Council of Australia and is the first education facility to be awarded the maximum 10 Green Star innovation credits.

Good idea to have wheels on a bench.

This is Linus Tan who works  as a Digital Fabrication Coordinator in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. We talked about makerspaces. He recommended we go to CCHS in Hawthorn, Makerlab in Footscray and Make-Create in Brunswick for low cost ideas. He said these places started simply and might also occasionally sell things when they’re upgrading, eg 3D printer.

I’m going to try and persuade our students to make some of these.

Harry Potter stairs.

And finally to the Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, a new space on the corner of Faraday and Cardigan Streets in Carlton – across the road (Swanston St) from the university.

The Kathleen Syme library/community space is warm and welcoming space catering for a range of ages and activities. When I left a senior group was doing the Chicken Dance in one of the rooms.

Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre is a community hub enabling people to come together to create, explore, connect, belong, learn and participate.

In addition to the collection, there is a recording studio, maker space, computer lab, free public wifi, and community lounge.

And finally, lunch. The Wild Timor Cafe is housed in the same building as the Kathleen Syme. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect ending to the day – good coffee, good food and a lunch spot in the dappled sunshine under a tree.

Thank you to Pam for organising this very enjoyable day.