The MITS Boarding House project at 371 Church Street in Richmond received the Residential Architecture - Multiple Housing Award from the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. Additionally, it has been shortlisted for the National Awards, which will be held on November 7, 2024.
MITS is a residential transition school for young Indigenous students from remote and regional communities who aspire to get a great education away from home. Each year their school and boarding program delivers a Year 7 program to 22 students, who from Year 8 onwards transition to Melbourne partner schools across independent, government and catholic sectors.
Built on Wurundjeri land, the new flagship boarding facility at 371 Church St, houses 40 students from remote areas across Victoria and the Northern Territory. Featuring a mix of dormitories, study areas & a collection of gathering spaces, it serves as the physical and spiritual home for the MITS community.
Outdoor gathering spaces, including a rooftop terrace with spectacular city views, seamlessly link inside and out and connect students to Country, with native gardens designed to reflect the precolonial landscape of the area and a colourful poured paving artwork by Trawlwoolway artist Edwina Green.
Take a Tour of this stunning facility - Virtual Tour
The facade, designed in collaboration with Indigenous artist Lorraine Kabbindi White, acts as a billboard for MITS, featuring a laser cut perforated screen telling the Dreamtime story of the ‘First Bees.’ This story wraps the façade and acts as a landmark ‘always was, always will be’ statement for the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School and the broader community.
Congratulations to the team at McIldowie Partners for receiving this award and the excellent commentary from the AIA: "MITS is exemplary in its embedding of cultural safety into a design process and outcome." We have a longstanding relationship with the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) and enjoyed bringing the vision of this building to life.
