Architectus has designed four of the state’s new Specialist Family Violence Courts (in yellow).
Our work designing Victoria’s SFVCs represents a genuine shift toward a trauma-informed response to family violence in the state, making it one of the leaders in Australia.
It’s a path the Victorian State Government took after the Royal Commission, which provided a greater understanding of what might stop someone going to court. One of those reasons is that a person’s past or potential physical and emotional distress can be so great it seems to outweigh any benefits.
Courtroom settings and the overall built environment can be a big contributor. For example, there may be situations in which victim-survivors share the same physical space as the person they’re seeking protection from. That’s a challenging thing for most, but even harder for someone with a history of trauma.
“I recall a victim-survivor saying ‘we want to feel as soon as we approach the building that we’re being taken care of.’ That has resonated with me and our approach to the design.”
Even the arrival experience can be stressful, with any anxiety people are already feeling possibly heightened by standing in a shared queue or waiting in the street.
Designing these spaces, we want to reduce any negative feelings created by the built environment.
A thoughtful approach to the architecture – considering sightlines, circulation, connections, and materiality, to name a few – can result in a greater sense of security, comfort and choice for people who have experienced family violence.
Why trauma-informed design matters
Our design team and practice have expertise in trauma-informed design through our work in justice, health and housing. We’re also committed to staying up to date with the latest research emerging in this field.
For the Specialist Family Violence Court projects, it’s not only the experience of vulnerable people we’re considering. It’s also the health and wellbeing of the staff and judiciary in the courts. The built environment also impacts how effectively court staff are able to work.
Working closely with Court Services Victoria (CSV), we conducted interviews and workshops with judiciary, staff, and supporting agencies, listening to their experiences and needs.
Drawing on biophilia, the Shepparton Law Courts are warm and welcoming, inside and out.
Victoria’s first family violence court
We’ve worked with our clients across a range of Courts and Specialist Family Violence projects, contributing everything from business case and planning to the design of operational facilities.
The Shepparton project was formative for our team – the first of the family violence courts to be completed in Victoria.
During this and a range of other justice projects, we’ve learned valuable lessons about what works well. And these lessons were supported by evidence from the Royal Commission. For example:
-People need to have a sense of space in stressful situations. Design strategies that expand view lines and reduce compression make an enormous difference to the experience of a building. It’s vital the architecture doesn’t make you feel closed in but still gives you a sense of security.
-The spaces need to provide a sense of agency to the people using them, to suit different situations and needs, or even be configured to serve two purposes at once.
-Waiting areas need to promote a feeling of safety and calm. They should be configured to provide a sense of privacy, with distinct areas that provide separation and containment if needed.
Overall, scale, materiality, colour, and connections to the outside are important in calming emotions and making spaces feel less institutional.
Transparency, safety and security
One of the pillars of our justice system is transparency. Safety and security are also vital to supporting equal access to justice.
All of these are especially important – and challenging – when vulnerable families come into the equation.
A concept for Victoria’s Specialist Family Violence Court in Broadmeadows.
Sightlines are important considerations in all of our projects, but they are especially significant in court settings.
We paid particular attention to transitions and thresholds, which can potentially heighten anxiety in an already stressful situation. To this end, we created clear and calm transition spaces, avoiding complex circulation.
“It’s about getting the balance right, avoiding complex circulation through the design while keeping the pathways working and separate.”
On our Shepparton project and the newer family violence courts we’re working on, we’re giving people more choices for how they move through these spaces.
Contextual responses, consistent experiences
We’ve designed the new Specialist Family Violence courts to suit the varied complexities of each site.
Some of the buildings are in busy suburban areas, while others are regional, like the completed project in Shepparton. The architectural response is unique to each context, with finishes and materials in keeping with the locale.
The revived 1930s courthouse in Shepparton forms part of Victoria’s first Specialist Family Violence Court.
“We want the buildings to feel like they belong to their communities.”
At the same time it was important the design solutions offer the same quality and level of experience across every site.
For example, that sense of space, calm and control need to translate, no matter where you’re seeking justice in the state. We’re achieving that through a selection of materials, textures and colours that make spaces warm, welcoming and peaceful.
The new buildings also incorporate dedicated areas for kids to play, such as a cubby house in Shepparton.
Wherever possible, we’re bringing in daylight and glimpses of longer views – evidence-based design approaches that can make a positive impact on emotional and physical wellbeing.
People deserve an environment that’s sensitively designed for their needs at such a difficult time for their families.
We introduced safe, calm and light-filled new spaces to Shepparton’s heritage courthouse building.
For more resources or support:
https://www.mcv.vic.gov.au/find-support/family-violence-support
