Education
Northcote Learning Commons
A bright, adaptable light scheme for a senior learning hub built around focus, collaboration and calm.
- Category
- Education
- Location
- Northcote, Melbourne
- Year
- 2024
- Scope
- Architectural · Acoustic · Tunable White
The Brief
Understanding how the space needed to feel
A secondary school was consolidating its library and study spaces into a single open learning commons. The brief called for energy-efficient, low-glare light that could support quiet individual study, group project work and presentations, while contributing to the wellbeing of students through long days indoors.
Our Approach
Designing the scheme
We zoned the open floor into reading, collaboration and presentation areas, each with its own switching and dimming. Suspended linear luminaires combine direct and indirect output to lift the ceiling and cut glare on screens, and a tunable white system shifts the whole commons cooler and brighter for focus in the morning, warmer and softer toward the end of the day.
The Outcome
Living with the result
Teachers can match the light to the activity without thinking about it, and students settle more readily in the warmer afternoon setting. Glare on laptops and the ceiling-mounted displays is gone, the indirect component makes the volume feel generous, and energy use sits well below the previous fit-out.
In Detail
Work With Us
Considering light for your own project?
Our Prahran studio takes on a small number of projects at a time so each receives our full attention. We would love to hear what you are planning.