Callignee Community Hub, Victoria Public Building, Australian Modern Real Estate, Architecture Project, Photography
Callignee Community Hub in Victoria
22 Mar 2022
Design: DS Architects
Location: Victoria, Australia

Photos: Peter Schreuder
Callignee Community Hub, Australia
The Callignee Community Hub represents the hope and goodwill of a town rising from Victoria?s devastating Black Saturday bushfires.

In Australia?s worst bushfire disaster on February 7, 2009, four people were killed in the area and nearly every house was destroyed, along with the original 1885 hall.

DS Architects were engaged by La Trobe City council to replace the much-loved hall, and as they began, the project quickly became more than simply designing four walls. The challenge was to create a facility for the community, by the community, with genuineness and authenticity. This was important because some residents felt abandoned by the council and couldn?t understand how architects could be working on a new community hall when they no longer had a house to live in.
The architects’ response was to walk their talk, which translated into community engagement at its finest. they became the council?s voice and the residents? hands ? listening first and designing second ? in equal collaboration with members of the community, the Country Fire Association (CFA) and government bodies.
DS Architects set up an open design studio in Callignee over three days and lived there to get a feel for what the comm...