Designing Landscape Architectural Education: Studio Ecologies for Unpredictable Futures
Dr. Maud Cassaignau with Rutger Pasman
Partners: Environment Education Victoria, Brimbank Council, St Augustine Primary School, Overnewton Anglican College
Urban Heat Island affects especially vulnerable populations, impacting kids health, ability to concentrate, learn and play. At the same time, school outdoor areas are often characterised by asphalt and astroturf, a lack of trees and shade, all increasing heat radiation and discomfort. The project used two real case studies to develop strategies to improve climate and outdoor qualities in a primary and secondary school, while also increasing biodiversity and useability of spaces through nature-based approaches.
While engaging with two school communities and council, through site engagement, presentations, exhibitions, and feedback sessions, the project drew on engaged studio examples to demonstrate a range of adaptation strategies. The report outlines how schools may employ these to improve the use of school grounds across weather conditions for play, outdoor classes, educational projects, sport, performance, calming activities and intergenerational engagement. The strategies are scaled, from campus strategies, strategies connecting to nearby parks and ecosystems, to neighbourhood-wide strategies. These are also useful to councils and community groups that may coordinate their strategies with schools at their centre. The report further demonstrates how retrofitting schools as climate oases for the wider community offers multiple benefits, provides teaching-learning opportunities for all and could form an ideal ground for collaboration between schools, communities and councils.
The report was funded by Environment Education Victoria, using Brimbank City Council funding and was presented at the National Education Summit 2024.
