Bureau of Meteorology Training Centre

Designed by Bourke and Bouteloup Architects, the Bureau of Meteorology Training Centre in Melbourne is a purpose-built facility where Bureau staff and students train in Air and Field Observations, Antarctic Field training and meteorology. Set across a single level and around 1,300 m2, the building borrows the visual language of meteorological infrastructure. Radars, towers and pylons mark the entrance and shade the outdoor informal learning areas that are central to both the course and the centre's culture.

Inside, synoptic chart colours and pressure maps pick out the spaces that sit beyond the main 'nave' corridors. The scheme works with the tall existing circulation spaces, which run in line with the points of the compass, and cuts learning and breakout areas into them to activate and emphasise the volume. Teaching and learning rooms are layered across the floor plan to keep the surrounding landscape in view as a teaching tool, to encourage interaction between students and staff, and to allow for privacy and flexible use.

Architecture, landscape architecture and interior design by Bourke and Bouteloup Architects (Sarah Bourke). Photography by Peter Bennetts.