The First Steps Count Child and Community Centre is a purpose-built living building, that uses biophilic design to bring nature into the building structure. The building was completed in 2024, after 15 years of planning, fundraising and building. This unique, ecologically sustainable and community-responsive building serves as a dynamic hub providing integrated early childhood services for families with children between the ages of 0-12, designed to support children and their families in a safe and welcoming environment (Driscoll, 2024).

Through the Centre, family support services are encouraged to work differently – working in partnership with families and collaboratively with other community services to achieve better outcomes for children, families and the community. The facility includes nature-based creative indoor and outdoor play spaces for children, a multi-purpose conference facility, meeting and training rooms, office space for co-located service providers, an activity room and consult rooms for various purposes including therapy, visiting medical consultations, hearing tests and otherwise costly health services.

The project’s building design was heavily informed by the Living Building Challenge which is the world’s most rigorous green building rating system (International Living Future Institute, 2022). The use of the Living Building Challenge framework can be attributed to many of the remarkable sustainability initiatives in this building. Matching with LBC priorities, the project team had a strong preference for locally sourced building supplies. While demanding, this created opportunities for new approaches in all areas of up-cycling, recycling, reducing carbon emissions and promoting low waste construction. Close collaboration and partnerships with Mid Coast Council, the University of Newcastle, local industry and building professionals have advanced all these initiatives as well as promoting sustainable construction in a variety of areas.

Another beautiful angle to this project is the integration of community art arranged and guided by local artists. The input from all demographics of the community leaves a tangible impression full of diversity, fun and inspiration (Vaughan 2024).

Photography by Matthew Carbone