Suters Architects

Churchill Integenerational Hub

Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross

CHURCHILL INTEGENERATIONAL HUB

Suters Architects

ARCHITECTS
Suters Architects

LOCATION
Churchill VIC 3842, Australia

PROJECT YEAR
2009

PHOTOGRAPHS
Emma Cross

Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross
Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross

Text description provided by architect.

The Churchill Community Hub is a contemporary community centre that co-locates services within a larger building; it allows crossover of these services; engages the user in areas they would not have been exposed to; increasing visibility and connectedness within the community, whilst reducing the resources required to operate Council facilities.

Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross
Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross

Churchill was a planned community developed to house the influx of workers to the Hazelwood power plant in the 1950’s.

The conceptual framework was based on the Latrobe Valley’s production of electricity and the power poles that cross the landscape.

Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross
Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross

The design refers to the man-made nature of the township and its utopian vision that took longer to achieve. The number of user groups that inhabit the Community Hub and the iterative process of user group negotiation greatly affected the development of the design.

Literally tying competing needs and uses together into one facility was expressed metaphorically in built form with the building being wrapped by a series of built elements; block work, fascia, roof and fences.

Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross
Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross
Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross

The Hub houses a range of user groups, with differing functions and clients that share facilities whilst improving the inter connectivity of social services within the rural community.

The Churchill Hub operates a childcare center, a preschool, a maternal and a child health program with parenting facilities.

Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross
Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross

There is a neighborhood center that conducts adult learning programs within the program rooms, office space and a computer lab. Additionally there are hot offices for local community groups to use as a base with the development of a Men’s Shed on the adjacent site.

Within the Hub the community functions are anchored by the civic presence of the Library. The traditional form of a Library has expanded to act as a service center for the delivery of occasional local government services with the reading room accessible for use by all.

Churchill Integenerational Hub
© Emma Cross


Churchill Integenerational Hub
Plan
Churchill Integenerational Hub
Plan


Churchill Integenerational Hub
Elevation
Churchill Integenerational Hub
Elevation

Suters Architects
T +61 2 49265262
Suters Architects
16 Telford St, Newcastle NSW 2300, Australia