LEA VIC Chapter

We are so pleased to share LEV’s calendar of events for 2026! This year, Learning Environments Victoria is exploring the idea of belonging and connection, and what this really means for our learning spaces and communities. At a time when education and design are increasingly digitised, fast-moving and future-focused, we’re pausing to ask: ✨Who shapes your learning? ✨What is the place of school? ✨Can learning cross generations? Across three inspiring building tours of 2025 LEA Victorian and Tasmanian Chapter Award-winning projects, alongside a Speaker Series centred on these questions, we’ll explore how design and pedagogy come together to create spaces that feel grounded, connected and deeply human. Registrations will open via the LEA website, with more details on each event shared closer to the date. We’re genuinely excited by this year’s line-up and the conversations it will spark, and we look forward to gathering with you throughout 2026 💫

⭐️ See our Victorian & Tasmanian Chapter Awards brought to life! ⭐️ What a brilliant celebration of the people, projects and partnerships that make our LEA community so special. Thank you to all our members who joined us on the night. As we look back on the year, we’re also looking forward… and we can’t wait for what the year ahead holds for our chapter. Big things are coming for 2026! ➡️ And don’t forget to check out the 2025 LEV Annual Magazine, the link is now in our bio. It’s packed with case studies, event highlights and showcases all our nominated awards projects. Here’s to another inspiring year together. 🎥 @michaelalfred_dp #LEA #learningenvironments #learningenvironmentsaustralasia

✨ We can finally share the secret we’ve been keeping… the LEV Annual Magazine is here! ✨ Launched last night at the LEA Victoria and Tasmania Chapter Awards, this new publication builds on the legacy of Places for Learning: Contemporary Designs and brings together everything we’ve been working on across the year. Created in collaboration with our sponsor @shawcontract_australia the magazine showcases our award-winning projects alongside event summaries, articles, interviews, and case studies. It’s a celebration of the ideas, people, and places shaping learning environments across our community. A huge thank you to @lightyears.com.au for bringing the look and feel of the magazine to life, and to our incredible committee for the work that goes into every event and every page. This year we’ve delivered nine events - from road trips and symposiums to award-winning building tours and social gatherings - and we’re so proud to share the stories behind them. The digital edition is now live on the LEA website, check out the link in our bio. We hope you enjoy exploring it as much as we enjoyed creating it. #LEA #learningenvironments #learningenvironmentsaustralasia #educationdesign #schooldesign #levic #levannualmagazine

✨Are you attending the 2026 Unleash Conference in Perth | Boorloo this week - the 24th Annual Learning Environments Australasia Regional Conference? Can you spot the 5 Victoria Chapter Committee Members attending the event? 👀 Be sure to say hello if you see them! Swipe through the images - or read below - for a few conversation starters and questions you can ask them. We’re looking forward to connecting with you all at the event! 🌟Emily Flint (LEV Chapter Chair) - "Ask me about the Learning Environments Victoria Annual Magazine" 🌟Nicole Kirby (LEV Chapter Chair Elect) - "Ask me about the Mayfield Project" 🌟Georgi Fairly (LEV Chapter Committee Member) - "Ask me about the Workshop I am running" 🌟Amanda Loughman (LEV Chapter Committee Member) - "Ask me about LEA Victoria Events coming up!" 🌟Derek Bartels (Regional Chair Elect) - "Ask me about the best LEA event I have been too in 10 years". #LEA #Unleash2026 #LEAConference #LearingAndDesign #architectureandschools

✨ A throw back to last weeks very first Speaker Series: Who Shapes Your Learning? ✨ What an energising evening of conversation, challenge and collaboration. From the outset, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a typical “sit and listen” session. Led by NoTosh’s Ewan McIntosh and Dr Jeremy Weinstein, the room was brought together through thoughtful, transdisciplinary questions that gave equal voice to educators, architects and suppliers, all grounded in a shared focus: learning first. Hosted by Shaw Contract in their Melbourne showroom, the space perfectly supported the format, encouraging movement, discussion and hands-on engagement, with just the right balance of structure and flexibility. 💡 Some highlights from the night: A workshop format that prioritised doing, testing and reflecting over passive listening Meaningful conversations across disciplines, including insights from international perspectives A warm, welcoming environment with great food and drinks that kept energy and ideas flowing A reminder of the importance of courage, to question, to challenge, and to rethink how we begin projects Events like this reinforce the value of early collaboration and the impact it can have on shaping better learning environments. A big thank you again to @teamnotosh for leading such a dynamic session, and to @shawcontract_australia for their generous support and hospitality. 👉 Head to our LinkedIn for a more in-depth reflection on the evening and key takeaways. We’re already looking forward to the next one. ✨

🌟Event Reminder: LEV Speaker Series🌟 Tickets are selling fast for next Tuesday's event: Who Shapes Your Learning? Join us for an evening exploring the value of early consultation and collaboration, and the conversations that need to happen right at the start of a project. This bold co-design session brings together educators, school leaders and designers to rethink how learning environments take shape…before sketches, before assumptions, before momentum is lost. Featuring a keynote from @teamnottosh founder Ewan McIntosh, followed by a hands-on workshop where you’ll put ideas into practice. Proudly supported by @shawcontract_australia , hosting us in their showroom. Drinks and food provided. Registrations close soon, we hope to see you there! ✨ 🤝 When? 5:30-7:30pm, Tuesday 28 April 2026 🤝 Where? Shaw Contract Melbourne, Building 3A / 650 Church St, Cremorne, Victoria 🤝 How Much? $75 Member Tickets, $90 Non-Members

Registrations are now open for our first Speaker Series event: Who Shapes Your Learning? 🤝 Join us for an evening exploring the value of early consultation and collaboration, and the conversations that need to happen right at the start of a project. This bold co-design session brings together educators, school leaders and designers to rethink how learning environments take shape…before sketches, before assumptions, before momentum is lost. Featuring a keynote from @teamnotosh founder Ewan McIntosh, followed by a hands-on workshop where you’ll put ideas into practice. Proudly supported by @shawcontract_australia , hosting us in their showroom. Drinks and food provided. Spots are limited, register soon ✨ 🤝 When? 5:30pm, Tuesday 28 April 2026 🤝 Where? Shaw Contract Melbourne, Building 3A / 650 Church St, Cremorne, Victoria 🤝 How Much? $75 Member Tickets, $90 Non-Members

🌟 A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent building tour to Kilvington Grammar School’s ‘The Hive’ STEM & Library Centre! 🌟 The event was a fantastic success, with a full house of educators, designers, and school leaders coming together to explore this award-winning learning environment. A special thank you to Kilvington Grammar School for hosting LEV and generously opening up The Hive for our community to experience firsthand. We’d also like to extend our gratitude to ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects for sharing insights into the design process, and to our supporting sponsor Milliken and event sponsor Spectrum Flooring for making the event possible. It was inspiring to hear reflections from our members and see how spaces like these are shaping innovative, future-focused learning. Events like this continue to highlight the power of collaboration, design, and shared ideas in shaping the future of learning environments. Next up, we’re excited to bring you Speaker Series 1: Who shapes your learning? with NoTosh ... stay tuned for more details! #leavic #ile #learningenvironments #educationdesign #schooldesign

***SOLD OUT*** Our upcoming Learning Environments Victoria event at Kilvington Grammar School’s ‘The Hive’ STEM & Library Centre has reached full capacity! 🎉 We’re thrilled by the strong interest from educators, designers, and school leaders keen to explore this award-winning learning environment. We’re also excited to acknowledge our event sponsors Spectrum and our supporting sponsors Milliken, whose support helps make events like this possible for our LEV community. For those attending, we look forward to welcoming you for a guided tour of The Hive, a future-focused STEM and Library Centre designed by ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects. The building brings together flexible learning spaces, sustainability initiatives, and student voice to create a dynamic environment for innovation and collaboration. If you weren’t able to secure a ticket this time, LEV members will still be able to read all about the event in our end-of-year annual magazine. 📍 Location: 2 Leila Rd, Ormond VIC 3204 📅 Date: Tuesday, 17 March 2026 ⏰ Time: 4:30PM – 6:30PM 🏫 @kilvingtongrammarschool ✍️ @clarkehopkinsclarke 👷‍♀️ @newpol_construction 📸 @diannasnape

🌟We'd like to introduce another new member of the LEA Vic Chapter Committee, Helene Detje.  Helene is an Architect and Associate at Minx Architecture, a practice which specialises in education design. She has delivered primary and secondary school projects from masterplanning stage through to handover, with a strong focus on collaboration and contemporary learning environments. Before working in the education space, Helene worked on social housing projects, shaping her commitment to socially responsive architecture and meaningful community impact. We asked her three questions about why she wanted to join the committee: Why did you decide to join the LEA Vic Committee? Over the past few years I've been attending LEA events, including the 3001: A Learning Space Odyssey conference in Brisbane. It has shown me that LEA is an organisation that fosters relationships, promotes learning and encourages discourse on the future of learning spaces. It has a very supportive and open culture. Being part of the committee feels like a natural next step and an opportunity to contribute to and help shape something I’ve already found very worthwhile.  What are you hoping to achieve during your time in the committee?  During my time on the committee I’m hoping to strengthen connections across the professions that shape learning environments. Collaboration and human connection is more important than ever particularly as technology continues to evolve and change.  What started your interests in learning environments and what do you love most about them? Before working at Minx Architecture I worked at a practice in London that specialised in social housing, where the focus was on delivering thoughtful, high-quality architecture for everyone. Designing schools carries a similar sense of purpose and responsibility. I love collaborating with students, educators and stakeholders to create spaces that support learning, wellbeing and creates social value. Seeing projects come together after years of planning is very rewarding.

Kilvington Grammar School ‘The Hive’ STEM & Library Centre. Future-Focused by Design: Innovation, sustainability & student voice 🍃 Join Learning Environments Victoria on Tuesday 17th March for a guided tour of ‘The Hive’, Kilvington Grammar School’s award-winning STEM and Library Centre by ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects. Overall Winner of the LEV & Tas Chapter Awards 2025, ‘The Hive’ is a living laboratory where learning, technology, and nature come together. Explore the three-level building, see how flexible STEM spaces and breakout areas support different ways of learning, and discover how sustainability features like solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and live building performance data turn the building itself into a teaching tool. Hear from Kilvington Grammar School and ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects about how student and staff input shaped the project, and join the Q&A to discuss ideas for your own learning environments. This event is proudly sponsored by Spectrum Floors: Quality Commercial Flooring That Stands the Test of Time. 📍 Location: 2 Leila Rd, Ormond VIC 3204 📅 Date: Tuesday, 17 March 2026 ⏰ Time: 4:30PM – 6:30PM 🏫 @kilvingtongrammarschool ✍️ @clarkehopkinsclarke 👷‍♀️ @newpol_construction 📸 @diannasnape

🌟As we start off the new year, we'd like to introduce you to one of our new LEA Vic Chapter Committee members, Amanda Meiklejohn!🌟 With over 15 years of experience across all architectural disciplines, Amanda has delivered a wide range of projects within the education, workplace, and community sectors. As Director of Interiors at Williams Ross Architects, Amanda is closely involved from project conception through to delivery, ensuring design excellence and a consistently high-quality outcome for clients. Her strongest passion is educational design, with a focus on shaping and enhancing learning environments that support the future of teaching and learning. We asked her three questions about why she wanted to join the committee: Why did you decide to join the LEA Vic Committee? As a committee member, I wanted to contribute to a group making a meaningful impact on the education sector, from both an architectural and educational perspective. By sharing knowledge and showcasing Australian schools, the committee gives the sector a strong voice and sets benchmarks that support continued growth and excellence in educational design. What are you hoping to achieve or contribute during your time on the Committee? I aim to support the committee by strengthening connections with organisations that contribute to learning environments, drawing on my established relationships with product, material, and furniture suppliers. These partnerships can create opportunities for schools and architects to collaborate on future projects, encourage knowledge sharing, and help the committee influence and advance best practice in educational design. What started your interest in learning environments & what do you love most about them? My interest in learning environments has developed through many years of working with schools and engaging directly with students. I am committed to designing tailored spaces that enhance learning outcomes and support each school’s unique needs and pedagogical practice. What I love most about learning environments is seeing students and staff actively use and value and thrive in these environments. #leavic #ile #learningenvironmentsaustralia