Architectus has delivered Perth’s new Ruah Centre for Women and Children (RCWC)– the first purpose-built facility of its kind in Australia for women and children affected by family and domestic violence. The seven-storey facility in Northbridge is designed to be a safe sanctuary for recovery and healing.
RCWC is home to the Karlup Service — _a specialised healing and recovery service for women and children affected by FDV. Karlup is a Noongar Aboriginal word meaning “a place where you belong and feel safe”.
The centre provides a range of holistic support services including counselling, physical and mental health, alcohol and other drug support, legal aid, education, and accommodation. By consolidating comprehensive services in one location, the risk of re-traumatisation is minimised enabling a more streamlined path to recovery.
The Centre has been purposefully designed to meet the diverse needs of women and children at various stages of their healing journeys.
Recognising that First Nations women are 32 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence, their needs have been a primary focus in both the design of the Centre and the services provided.
Ruah will pair each client with a Koorta Guide, a "trusted friend" in Noongar, who will provide personalised support and guidance throughout their recovery. This approach fosters a culturally safe and supportive environment for healing and thoughtfully integrates First Nations cultural principles to create a sense of comfort, safety and belonging.
“The design approach began with women and children at its heart,” says Architectus Principal, Mark Black.
“This building has been designed with the human experience at its core; it is community-focused and will make a remarkable difference to many lives.
“We’re very proud to have collaborated with Ruah Community Services in creating a beautiful, welcoming and generous Centre that sets a new benchmark for future facilities of support and empowerment for women and their families seeking to rebuild their lives from domestic violence.”
The building features a refined pleated façade, referencing the sawtooth industrial buildings of the neighbourhood. It is designed to make the Centre feel calm and welcoming on arrival.
Situated in a busy district of Perth, the building features high-performance glazing to meet stringent acoustic and energy efficiency requirements. The building also incorporates reused materials, salvaged from the original building on the site including old jarrah trusses.
The interior architecture is designed to be intuitive, with a calming nature-inspired palette, helping users feel at home and navigate the different spaces. Long-term flexibility and adaptability of the building across its life cycle have also been carefully considered. Equal and consistent facade fin spacing adds to this flexibility, allowing the building to adapt to future changes without compromising functional integrity.
The circulation paths within the building create safe and seamless transitions between public and private areas.
Informed by the outcomes of an extensive stakeholder and user-group engagement process facilitated by Ruah, all spaces are designed to foster a sense of community and harmony between staff, residents, and clients.
RCWC opened on 23 October 2024 and is expected to support 600 women and children each year.
Image: Ruah Centre/Dion Robeson
