dear architect

Masterplans should design the whole experience, not just the space.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: normal space masterplans don't transform learning.

In our award-winning learning environment designs we've been able to push the boundaries of learning and teaching to design schools that nobody could have imagined on day one.

A typical facilities masterplan might have a deadline of 12 weeks' production. There is a limit to how much educators and students can interrogate why they teach and learn the way they do today. There's even less chance that they'll be able to immerse in possibilities for changing that significantly.

At NoTosh, our skilled teams of educators and architect partners work together to design the whole learning experience and create the kind of space that will stretch practice for years to come. When you're making such a significant investment already, we believe it's worth investing in the people using it.

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The world's most innovative school design

Award-winning design

From concept to design to build, we work with your students and team to create spaces to inspire

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Award-winning design

Breaking assumptions, uncovering your school's possibilities

Traditionally, architects and facility planners design learning environments with community consultation. But that consultation comes too late in the day. It assumes those answering the questions about learning and teaching have had the time to explore and think through all the answers.

But that's a huge assumption. Schools are busy places of constant improvement. But educators rarely have the 'white space' to reflect, and work out what practices they want to keep. Very few educators have the time and opportunity to explore their practice, and see provocations that can stretch their practice into areas they didn't even know they didn't know about.

That's what NoTosh does.

We push boundaries so architects can draw them.

Our award-winning collaborative planning process turns your dreams and your budget into a different kind of design brief for your architect partner, one that can increase the speed, sensitivity and responsiveness of their work. The result is a learning environment as unique as you are.

We listen to see where you're at.

We push and provoke with ideas you've not seen before.

We help you make connections to what will work best for you.

We pull it all together into a fresh brief, or RFP, for the architect: the "Dear Architect..." book.

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Andreia Mitrea, Founder Colina Noua Learning Center

“I had a dream. And It would still be just a dream without NoTosh. They will not allow you to go small, to dilute or minimise your own ideas.”

We win awards. We create concrete impact on the learning experience. We inspire the educators and broader community so that they're already operating in new ways before the first sketch is drawn.

2022: WINNER

Kelly Tanner Award Innovation Award: Best New Initiative

Association for Learning Environments, International Awards, NoTosh and EIW Architects. Project: Nanjing International Award, Nanjing, China.

2021: WINNER

Construction over $8M

Learning Environments Australasia, NoTosh and EIW Architects. Project: Iona Presentation College, Perth, Australia.

2020 WINNER

Renovation / Modernisation under $5 MILLION

Learning Environments Australasia, in partnership with EIW Architects. Project: Nanjing International School Early Years and Hub, Nanjing, China.

2020 COMMENDATION

Innovation in Education Initiative

Learning Environments Australasia, in partnership with Department for Education, South Australia. Research-informed approaches to STEAM, Project: What Works for STEM Works.

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Laurie McLellan, Director, Nanjing International School, China

Transformative spaces that transform the experience

“There were never barriers when sharing ideas with our architects and NoTosh…there was a profound convergence of belief in allowing dreams to become a reality.”

Transformative spaces that transform the experience

Designing Learning Spaces

An overview of how we design spaces differently

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Designing Learning Spaces

Early Years at Nanjing International School

Nanjing International School, China

Nanjing International School's award-winning early learning center

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Early Years at Nanjing International School

Iona Presentation College's creative hub

Iona Presentation College, Australia

Along with the school and their architectural partner, we helped to create a visionary masterplan for space design that reflects and supports the art of the possible for the next 20 years.

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Iona Presentation College's creative hub