从灰色的青石基座到通透开放的全景屋顶花园，卫理公会女子学校（MLC）Nicholas学习中心的东立面沿着运动场的边界划出了一道柔和的弧线。浅色调的手工砖墙在正式和非城市的校园环境之间建立了连接，营造出温馨的氛围。从内部看，弧形的墙面被框架中的景观所打断，表达出学校与外部环境之间的开放性连接，同时反映了MLC培养世界女性的教育主题。
From a plinth of grey bluestone to the light and open roof garden, with sight lines in all directions, the eastern walls of MLC’s Nicholas Learning Centre are carefully and deliberately curved, softly scribed along the hard edge of the sporting oval. The handcrafted brick ‘skin’ in pale shades and progressive tones brings warmth and connectivity between the formal and informal campus context. From within, the curved skin is punctuated by a fenestration framing views, expressing open connection beyond the College, reflecting the MLC theme of educating world-ready women.
▼学习中心外观，Nicholas Learning Centre exterior view ©Peter Bennetts
服务于7年级和8年级的女学生的Nicholas学习中心是2015年校园整体规划中落成的首个项目。该规划旨在完成墨尔本内东区卫理公会女子学校Kew校区长达10年的发展愿景。新的学习中心位于MLC小学与中学之间，将原先被分开的7年级和8年级学生集中起来，同时与旁边的校长露台（Principal’s Terrace）共同形成“校园中的校园”。
The Nicholas Learning Centre for Years 7 and 8 girls is the first project emerging from the 2015 College Masterplan – a vision for the 10-year development of the Kew campus of Methodist Ladies College, in Melbourne’s inner east. Situated between MLC traditional primary and secondary schools the new building brings together previously separated Years 7 & 8 to create of a school within a school, alongside the new landscape heart of the campus, the Principal’s Terrace.
▼校园鸟瞰，campus overall view ©Peter Bennetts
在拆除了Nicholas大楼原先的两个狭窄翼楼之后，新的中心在此基础上建成，并提供四个楼层的学习空间，其中两个楼层分别服务于7年级和8年级，并且各自拥有10个学习空间或指导教室。位于顶层的共享创意学习区与屋顶花园相连接，提供了户外学习空间。大楼底层是正式的行政楼层，提供了接待家长和访客的空间。
Arising from the demolition of two cramped wings of the previous Nicholas building, the new Centre provides four levels of learning spaces, a level each for Years 7 and 8, both with 10 learning spaces or home rooms. A shared innovative learning zone at the top of the building flows into the popular roof-garden for outdoor learning and at the building’s base, a formal administrative floor welcomes parent and visitors.
▼花园视角，view from the courtyard ©Peter Bennetts
新建筑的西侧边缘曾经是由郊区街道演变而来的“Grove大街”，如今在软性景观的介入下成为了迎接学生和访客的开放区域，提供了通向新校园中心“Principal’s Terrace”的路径。这一充满自然气息的集会场所为校园创造了鼓励户外教学的阴凉空间，并且可以直接从学习中心的走廊望见其景色。McIldowie Partners事务所创始人兼建筑师John Mcildowie表示：“将Grove大街引入校园的中心，不仅为建筑的形态构成赋予了依据，还在校园的中央地带创造了新的目的地和聚集点。”
The western edge of the new building— once ‘Grove Avenue’ a remnant of the evolution of the campus from a suburban street—is softened and opened to provide a gracious welcome to a natural flow of students and visitors into the new heart of the campus, the Principal’s Terrace. This has become a natural gathering place, overlooked by the Centre’s verandahs, providing shade, and an invitation to outdoor learning. “The diversion of Grove Avenue into the heart of the campus, not only becomes the formational gesture of the building but the key to unlocking the new landscaped heart as a destination on campus,” says John Mcildowie.
▼“Grove大街”在软性景观的介入下成为了迎接学生和访客的开放区域 the previous ‘Grove Avenue’ is softened and opened to provide a gracious welcome to a natural flow of students and visitors into the new heart of the campus ©Peter Bennetts
西立面主要采用玻璃建成，便于引入外部的花园视野，同时为学习空间带来充足的自然光。一系列三角形的彩色铝制板条强调出阳台的水平线条，同时与远处的露台形成尺度上的呼应。立面上的铝板可以手动旋转，使学生们可以参与到建筑中来，从而营造出一种适合中年级学生的游戏氛围。
纵深的悬挑阳台和自然通风系统为学习空间带来新鲜空气，同时确保了全天的舒适温度。每个学习空间中都配备有显示屏，在适合自然通风的条件下会向教师和学生发出提示。
The west façade is predominantly glazed to take advantage of the garden setting beyond and to flood the learning spaces with natural light. A series of coloured triangular aluminium battens emphasize the horizontal gesture of the balcony, such that the building engages intimately with the human scale of the terrace beyond. Each batten also rotates, so students can participate in the architecture, creating a sense of playfulness appropriate for the middle years setting.
The deep overhanging balcony, as well as the natural stack ventilation system which provides fresh air to the learning spaces and ensure that comfortable temperatures are maintained throughout the day. A series of display units in each learning space inform staff and students when conditions are suitable for natural ventilation, which has been embraced as a learning tool from staff and students alike.
▼从开放的花园空间望向学习中心，view to the new Learning Centre from the natural gathering place ©Peter Bennetts
在与学术人员的密切合作下，学习空间的设计充分迎合了“学习社区”的概念，其目标是在进入校园中心的路径与健康的环境以及优质的实践教学之间建立平衡的关系。最终的建筑呈现为一系列体块的集群，5个学习空间围绕着共享的休息空间布局，通过在同学与教职员之间建立牢固的联系来实现对各年级学生的培养，并增强他们对学校的认同感和主人翁意识。
▼设计示意，conceptual diagram ©McIldowie Partners
Working in close collaboration with the school’s academic staff, the design of the learning spaces are driven by the concept of the learning community, which aims to balance access into the heart of the campus with wellbeing and best practice learning. As a result, the building is broken down into a series clusters, 5 learning spaces around a shared breakout space, nurturing students in the transition from junior to secondary schools by building strong bonds between peers and staff through a homeroom based wellbeing model, strengthening a sense of identity and ownership over the spaces.
▼共享公共空间，shared breakout space ©Peter Bennetts
▼室内细节，detailed view ©Peter Bennetts
趣味性的设计鼓励女孩们怀揣目标与好奇心走进新的环境。各类空间通过色彩的运用被整合起来，并让不同的楼层之间形成对比和差异。从细节上看，私人化的角落空间为独自思考和研究提供了机会，与大范围的学习环境形成相辅相成的关系。
Playfulness throughout the design encourages the girls to enter the new environment with a sense of wonder as well as purpose. Colour is used to bring spaces together, and to provide a contrast between floor levels. At the micro level, intimate nooks open up for private reflection and research, contiguous with the broader learning environment.
▼教学空间，learning space ©Peter Bennetts
▼学生们被鼓励自主地去选择学习的场景和方式，students are encouraged to choose where and how they learn ©Peter Bennetts
2层和3层分别是7年级和8年级的学习空间，其重点在于提供灵活、可重新配置的空间，让学生始终处于学习环境的中心。设计通过灵活的家具来支持多种类型的学习环境，并通过大尺寸的玻璃推拉门和可调节的隔墙为空间赋予了渗透性。学生们可以自由地进入多个区域，在不同的学习模式之间无缝切换。从独立学习到小组合作，或从目标明确的学习到发散性的思考，学生们被鼓励自主地去选择学习的场景和方式，从而最终成为学习的主人。
▼二层平面图，plan level 2 ©McIldowie Partners
Levels 2 & 3 for Year 7 & 8 learning spaces respectively, focus on delivering flexible and reconfigurable spaces that place students at the centre of the learning environment. The design supports a variety of learning settings through agile furniture and provides porosity between spaces through oversized glass sliding doors and operable walls. This enables students to access multiple areas within the learning environment and to shift seamlessly between different modes of learning. From independent learning to collaborative group work, or from more directed learning to reflection. By encouraging students to choose where and how they learn, the design aims to empower students to be the authors of their own learning.
▼灵活的家具来支持多种类型的学习环境，the design supports a variety of learning settings through agile furniture ©Peter Bennetts
▼大尺寸的玻璃推拉门和可调节的隔墙为空间赋予了渗透性，the design provides porosity between spaces through oversized glass sliding doors and operable walls ©Peter Bennetts
▼4层平面图，plan level 4 ©McIldowie Partners
In contrast to the Year 7 & 8 learning spaces across levels 2 and 3, the innovative zone on level four is aimed at encouraging groups to learn in an increasingly less structured interdisciplinary format.Purposeful learning settings such as presentation booths with video conferencing, a green screen filming studio, maker spaces and a seminar room are provided in a more open manner. The roof terrace flows seamless from this collection of spaces to form a hub for project based collaborative work and provides a platform for innovative teaching and learning practices as distinct from the flexible spaces provided below.
▼屋顶露台，roof terrace ©Peter Bennetts
▼屋顶鸟瞰，aerial view ©Peter Bennetts
▼露台景观，the landscaped terrace ©Peter Bennetts
最终，一个有着宏大目标、以学生为中心的学习空间被建立起来。 Nicholas学习中心以改善学生的学习成果和教师实践为目标，在不断发展的校园中心，凭借新颖的视角和教学方法成为一座名副其实的创新建筑。
Ultimately, it is the collection of these ambitious, student centered learning spaces that matter. Determined to improve student learning outcomes and teacher practices, the building sits at the heart of a growing field, delivering innovative architecture through the lens of innovative learning.
▼学习中心建筑外观，exterior view ©Peter Bennetts
▼剖面图，section ©McIldowie Partners
Project size: 4500 m2 Completion date: 2019 Building levels: 4 Project team: Quantity Surveyor: Prowse Accessibility Consultant: Before Compliance Acoustic Engineer: Marshall Day Acoustic Engineers Structural Engineer & Services Consultant: Arup Landscape Architect: Taylor Cullity Lethlean Building Surveyor: Design Guide Photo: Peter Bennetts
