As part of the 2015 Association for Learning Environments Annual Conference and Expo, Fulton Trotter Architects received the Projects of Distinction award for their Noosa Flexible Learning Centre, and stood as the only Australian recipient in the category.

The centre itself is part of the Youth Plus network of schools run by Edmund Rice Education Australia, and was designed and constructed to serve as an alternative learning environment for disengaged and disadvantaged youth.

“The alternative nature of the Flexible Learning Centre has been a wonderful opportunity to push the boundaries of the conventional notion of ‘school’ and explore new educational design possibilities at their most fundamental level, ” said Fultron Trotter director Mark Trotter “This path has forced us to cast aside traditional, preconceived notions and start from scratch.”

The award recognizes the design of the space, and the high quality community and educational engagement it has provided. Fulton Trotter has already received several industry awards for their design, including an Australian Institute of Architects 2015 Sunshine Coast Regional Commendation and the Stormwater Queensland 2014 Award for Excellence in Integrated Stormwater.

The project is a wonderful example of the student-centred, 21^st century learning space, and it’s great to see such design rewarded.

Fulton Trotter Architects
fultontrotter.com.au