Hodgkison is proud to be involved in the design of a dedicated dementia facility that will reflect a groundbreaking new approach to the way Dementia Care is provided within residential aged care facilities.

Barunga Village in Port Broughton, north of Adelaide, is one of three aged care homes in Australia implementing this new model of care to engage and improve the quality of life for their residents with dementia. The model is based on the work of Dr David Sheard from Dementia Care Matters in the UK, who gave an inspiring presentation to the local community of Port Broughton, service providers and design team at Barunga Village at the recent launch. The audience was captivated by David’s emotionally charged speech that truly explored what is at the heart of this exceptional model of care.

Care workers in ‘Butterfly Homes’ ensure that residents enjoy a nurturing and stimulating environment which results in increased life expectancy, improved well-being and happiness. Sheard says that the butterfly is a metaphor for transformation. Traditional care homes that have adopted the approach have reported a substantial reduction in anxiety, stress, falls and in the use of various medications. Staff focus on levels of care that go beyond standard requirements giving residents choice in a wide range of meaningful tasks and activities.

We congratulate the Barunga Village team in particular Maureen Coffey, Merrilyn Hewitt and Louise Dewolf as they embark on this inspiring journey. We are excited to be part of the team who will help to deliver this revolutionary progression in dementia care.

 

Find out more about the Butterfly Household Model of Care at Dementia Care Matters.

Senior staff at Hodgkison recently had the opportunity to attend the Association for Learning Environments’ 16^th National Conference in Melbourne.

The theme of the conference was “EXCHANGE’’ and provided a wonderful opportunity to share knowledge, experiences and an insight into future practices in planning, designing and building learning environments.

“Today, education design and pedagogy are inextricably inter-twined in an exciting dynamic of possibilities, innovation and collaboration” says Richard Leonard, Chair of Learning Environments Australasia.

Peter Goern and Caroline Adams had the opportunity to participate in that innovation and were inspired by exceptional local and international speakers. The presentations focused on challenging the way we think about Education and looking at different ways to equip students with the soft skills they will need to succeed in a rapidly changing employment market. Together with teaching the core curriculum, there were examples shared of school environments engaging children to develop the ability to learn how to learn, problem solve and think critically as well as building confidence, presentation, collaboration and team skills.

They visited some innovative education settings including:

• The University of Melbourne’s Studio Five, which was designed with the intention of facilitating improved pedagogic practices in a tertiary arts precinct.
• Froebel Early Learning Centre, where smart insertions into the building, logical and functional external space allocation and sensitive landscape detail allow for meeting and interaction at varying levels.
• Caulfield Grammar School, showcasing classrooms and collaborative areas that will support the future evolution of learning.
• Officer Education Hub, a good example of how community and school connecting beyond the school gates.

At Hodgkison, we look forward to using this knowledge to provide you with the very latest in contemporary education design and assisting you in the planning and building of better learning environments.

 

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of our Practice Manager, Kristy McMillan. This new role recognises her outstanding achievement as Principal Architect and her steadfast commitment to the business.

As a member of the Hodgkison team for over 11 years, Kristy has been a Principal Architect for the last 6 years and has delivered many exciting and challenging projects.

Kristy has an outstanding reputation for reliability, commitment and passion towards her projects and an ability to design and deliver diverse and complex projects to the Commercial, Retail, Educational and Aged Care Sectors.

Kristy will continue to deliver design and project management services to our Clients with the exceptional service ethos for which she has become known. Her new role will be integral in the ongoing growth and success of Hodgkison.