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Y2 Architecture

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Y2 Architecture

Y2 Architecture is a design practice with offices in Melbourne, Bendigo and South East Queensland. Directors Garry Thompson and Matthew Dwyer.

03/09/2026

The Kerribana Supported Inclusion Primary School and Kindergarten project reflects Y2’s commitment to embedding First Nations knowledge in a way that is authentic, enduring and deeply connected to Country.

Throughout planning, design and delivery, we worked alongside Aunty Patricia Cerminara, a respected Elder and cultural connector in the Wodonga region. Y2 facilitated a series of Wartaka sessions with local Elders and community members that surfaced key cultural and environmental values tied to the site, including the significance of a scar tree, seasonal knowledge and responsibilities of caring for Country. Rather than informing isolated design decisions, this knowledge became a foundation for the school’s identity and its relationship with place.

As the design evolved, Y2 worked with Aunty Patricia and local Elder and artist Aunty Maggih Coates to embed cultural narratives throughout the architecture and landscape, creating everyday opportunities for learning, connection and reflection.

The relationship continues beyond completion. Aunty Patricia continues to visit the school fortnightly to deliver cultural lessons with students. On a recent visit, she shared stories with students while displaying a possum skin cloak that had been created over time by women from the local community. As students listened, they were constantly making connections between their learning, Country and the First Nations stories woven into their school.

For Y2, this is the project’s true legacy, a place where culture isn’t just represented, but lived every day.

📸 Leon Schoots Photography

27/08/2026

Lavalla Catholic College - St Paul’s Marian Centre

Designed as the new academic and social heart of the campus, the Marian Centre is a key part of Y2 Architecture’s master plan for Lavalla Catholic College. Designed for Years 7-9 students, the contemporary two-storey learning environment brings together flexible learning, wellbeing, creativity and student choice.

📚 Flexible learning classrooms, breakout spaces, research and prototyping areas
🌿 Nature pods, a living stair, abundant natural light and strong connections to nature
🤝 Spaces for individual study, collaboration, team teaching and hands-on learning

Developed through extensive consultation with staff, students and leadership, the design supports evolving pedagogies while providing a rich variety of learning settings that empower students to learn, collaborate and explore in different ways.

One of our favourite challenges was bringing the cantilevered rammed earth wall to life, a true team effort between our designers, structural engineers and the client to ensure the design intent could be achieved.

As one educator reflects - “The best thing about the building is that it inspires educators to be creative in how they use the space. It gives teachers every opportunity to innovate, and in turn gives students every opportunity to be creative.”

From master plan to completion, Y2 is proud to have delivered this project for Lavalla Catholic College as Principal Design Consultant.

📍 Traralgon, VIC
📸 Leon Schoots Photography

MaristEducation

25/08/2026

Behind the Scenes with Y2 and Leon Schoots

We’ve spent the last few weeks with photographer Leon Schoots, capturing two recently completed education projects across regional Victoria: Kerribana Supported Inclusion Primary School & Kindergarten and the Marian Learning Centre at Lavalla Catholic College St Paul’s Campus.

A Bendigo local and long-time friend of Y2, Leon has been documenting our projects for more than a decade. It’s always a pleasure to work alongside him, capturing not only the finished spaces but also the people and stories that bring them to life.

It was incredibly rewarding to document the hard work and dedication behind these projects, and even more special when the Auntys got involved. Across both sites, the students were engaged and excited as Leon shared his passion for photography and gave them a glimpse behind the lens.

A true celebration of community, creativity and connection.

19/08/2026

A place where everyone belongs.

Kerribana Supported Inclusion Primary School and Kindergarten was designed around a simple but powerful idea: every student should feel seen, supported and connected.

As the first regional Supported Inclusion School in Victoria, Kerribana brings inclusive education, flexible learning environments and community connection together in one place. From sensory spaces and calm retreats to collaborative learning hubs and outdoor gathering spaces, every part of the school has been designed to support diverse ways of learning and belonging.

Kerribana was shaped through the collective efforts of the school community, Dhudhuroa Elders, educators, education specialists, Y2 Architecture and the Victorian School Building Authority, creating a learning environment that reflects Country, culture and community.

Working in partnership with the Victorian School Building Authority, Y2 Architecture was able to move beyond consultation and create meaningful opportunities for cultural engagement. The Victorian School Building Authority’s active involvement and commitment to authentic engagement helped ensure the school could respond authentically to Country, embedding meaningful stories, artwork and connections throughout the school environment.

Today, Kerribana is more than a school. It’s a place where students can learn, play, explore and thrive together.

📸 Leon Schoots Photography

22/07/2026

Investing in the future of our profession - great to welcome our work experience student and share a glimpse into life at Y2!

01/07/2026

At the end of Design Development, our Project Design and Technical workshop pulls in expertise from across the studio.

Serious work, but there’s always time for a little boogie! 💃

15/06/2026

We’re proud to share that Y2 Architecture has received full endorsement of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) from Reconciliation Australia! Since receiving endorsement, we’ve been actively progressing our commitments and deliverables, and it has been an incredibly rewarding and inspiring journey so far.

This milestone reflects collaboration, learning and careful development, including ongoing dialogue and feedback with Reconciliation Australia to ensure our plan is meaningful, practical and impactful. It captures the work we’ve been doing over many years - investing time, listening deeply and collaborating closely with First Nations voices to embed reconciliation principles across every stage of our projects, from pre-design through to post-occupancy. We are excited to formalise this commitment through our RAP.

Reconciliation is an ongoing journey, and this RAP reminds us that the spaces we create and the way we work must reflect respect, inclusivity and connection. The Y2 team is inspired to continue this work, designing environments that honour and celebrate the rich histories, cultures and contributions of First Nations peoples.

09/06/2026

At the recent LEA Unleash Conference, on Whadjuk Noongar Country, Matt Dwyer and Sarah Jasenia from Y2 Architecture presented “Unlearning Empire: How Timor-Leste can break from colonial schooling and build its own educational future.”

Our presentation shared the story of Colégio Marista Lautem, an educational project in remote Timor-Leste developed in collaboration with Marist Schools Australia. Framed through the lens of decolonising practice, the talk explored how architecture can support educational change when it is grounded in local culture, climate, community knowledge and long-term partnership.

We reflected on the realities of working in a context shaped by colonial legacies, rigid curriculum structures, limited resources and complex translation across language, culture and construction practice. We discussed how the school’s design - including open-air learning environments, verandas, village-scale planning, natural ventilation, locally resonant materials and spaces that support hands-on learning, exploration of local craft traditions and project-based learning - aims to create a more culturally responsive and future-focused model of education.

The presentation also highlighted the importance of ongoing pedagogical support, including Y2’s involvement in a Pedagogical Development Team working with local educators to shape teaching practices and learning environments that respond to Timorese culture, community, and ways of learning.

Together, the project demonstrates how architecture can act as a catalyst for dignity, belonging, educational opportunity and long-term community involvement and growth.

05/06/2026

This National Reconciliation Week, we’ve been doing the work - and more importantly, showing up to listen and learn.

As a practice with a Reconciliation Action Plan, we’re committed to moving beyond acknowledgement toward meaningful action. This week gave us some truly rich opportunities to do that.

We visited the Blak Dot Gallery, attended the MSO First Voices Showcase, held an internal reflection session on Cultural Protocols, and tuned into Dr Jefa Greenaway’s ARBV webinar on Country Centred Design - a powerful reminder of what it looks like to embed First Nations knowledge and perspective into the built environment.

We’ve also got our noses deep in Design: Building on Country by Alison Page & Paul Memmott - and it’s one of those books that makes you rethink everything.

As architects, we recognise our responsibility to advocate for Country Centred Design beyond our own studio. Our profession has a powerful role to play in ensuring First Nations voices and knowledge are embedded in how we design and build.

20/05/2026

Kerribana Supported Inclusion Primary School & Kindergarten in Leneva, Wodonga is a carefully crafted learning environment where architecture, landscape and culture are intrinsically connected.

Designed in response to the site’s natural topography and shaped through meaningful collaboration with local First Nations Elders, community and artists, the project embeds Indigenous storytelling and a strong connection to Country within both the built form and landscape. Flexible, inclusive learning spaces are woven throughout the campus, creating a place that is intuitive, welcoming and adaptable - supporting diverse modes of learning while fostering a strong sense of belonging.

Kerribana is architecture that is purposeful, grounded in place, and designed to leave a lasting impact on both students and community.

Address

466 Malvern Road
Prahran, VIC
3181

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday	9am - 5:30pm
Friday	9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+61395107860

Website

https://www.y2architecture.com.au/

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