Angela Wright Bennett Centre

Western Australia has the highest rates of family violence-related assaults in the country. The Centre’s vision was to create a welcoming, calm and safe environment where women and children can heal, experience genuine connection, and feel empowered. A vital element of the brief was to consolidate services in one location within a compact 695sqm site to minimise the risk of re-traumatisation and enable a more streamlined path to recovery. A key consideration was separating user groups—client residents, staff, consultants and the public. The brief also addressed the need to connect to context and community, while ensuring privacy and security.

Levels were divided into categories such as women’s health, family and empowerment services, accommodation, and corporate services for Ruah’s staff. A delicate, pleated façade calms and welcomes users, while also providing anonymity and warmth upon entry. Internal circulation was carefully considered, with lobbies and lifts offering separation and privacy between user groups. The consultation rooms are set inward from the façade to support privacy-sensitive use. The accommodation levels feature internally focused apartments, supporting women and children through their healing journey. The twin-keyed unit arrangement accommodates various family sizes. Communal spaces foster connections, offering women and children a sense of community.

The AWBC is home to the Karlup Service, a specialised healing and recovery service for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence. Karlup, a Noongar Aboriginal word, means "a place where you belong and feel safe." The service has the capacity to assist approximately 600 women and children annually. The centre is purposefully designed to meet the diverse needs of women and children at various stages of their healing journeys. The building is designed to support them as they regain control, rebuild trust, and embrace a new life, free from violence.

Inspired by Northbridge’s industrial heritage, the pleated façade creates a welcoming atmosphere while ensuring privacy for occupants. Consistent fin spacing on the façade accommodates various interior spatial arrangements, enabling future adaptability without compromising the building’s architectural integrity. The reception joinery incorporates reused materials salvaged from the original building. The building’s accommodation levels feature a central external ‘street’, which is light-filled and has clear legibility to each front door. External communal space in the centre’s core was designed to ensure occupants can access natural elements while feeling secure within the building envelope.