LIMINAL ARCHITECTURE | Child and Family Centres make a difference
Posted 22 August 2018
It’s rewarding to see the creative and life changing initiatives growing out of the 12 government-funded Child and Family Centres across Tasmania, created over the past few years to help combat disadvantage and provide support for all families in their local area.
We had the privilege of working with the inspirational teams involved in the development of two of the Child and Family Centres here in the South of Tasmania – tagari lia in Bridgewater and wayraparattee in Geeveston. Tagari lia is the Tasmanian Aboriginal word for family, while wayraparattee means forest ground. The visionary Margie Nolan was at the helm of the briefing team for the tagari lia centre completed in 2013 and Anna Reynolds was Margie’s counterpart for the wayraparattee centre, which was completed in 2014.
It’s always gratifying to see how the seeds that help shape the design of the centres blossom into supportive and inspiring programs, embraced and tailored by the community, providing much needed support and nurturing.
To support these needs, we ensure the spaces we design are born from community collaboration. They must be able to respond to growing and changing needs, and be inspiring, supportive and have a domestic familiarity. Each centre has its own personality, shaped by the community for that specific community. This helps it remain relevant and provides authentic educational and supportive opportunities for not only the children but also the parents – making a real difference to the lives of those who engage with them.
Tagari lia also recently became the venue for the Brave Foundation’s young mothers support group. As covered recently by ABC News, the Supporting Expecting and Parenting Teens (SEPT) is having a trial run in which it’s expected to assist up to 350 teenage mothers.
More on their inspirational stories can be read here.
More on the design of the buildings can be found here:
