We believe that every person deserves respect and dignity. Our mission is to create judicial spaces that empower individuals and ensure their voices are heard. We’ve set a new standard in our approach to crafting judicial spaces, one that serves, uplifts, and respects the diverse communities these spaces support.
Judicial environments are traditionally perceived as intimidating and disconnected, we are reshaping the user experience to be inclusive, culturally sensitive and human-centric. This approach is revealed in several of our projects – VCAT Bundoora, VCAT Human Rights Division, the Therapeutic Recovery Centres & the Higher Jurisdiction Secure Docks. Each of these has contributed in their own way to redefining how they contribute to serving our communities.
VCAT Bundoora – Connection to Place & Cultural Sensitivity
VCAT Bundoora’s interiors were designed around the desire to evolve and craft a space unique to the community it serves. This court facility is intended to be a catalyst for change and the benchmark for all future VCAT courts.
Driven by a desire to shift the narrative of courts, from what can be hostile, stressful and sterile facilities, to inclusive & user centric environments, the design reflects Bundoora’s natural surroundings with an earthy palette and natural timbers. The space maximizes natural light and incorporates abundant planting throughout. Art and cultural artifacts feature prominently in every space. Perhaps one of the most important changes though, was in the design of the first Koori room for VCAT.
Venko’s design addressed physical, visual, and spiritual elements to create a space culturally relevant and respectful to our First Nations Peoples.
We collaborated with Indigenous design consultant, Greenaway Architects, to integrate Aboriginal design elements throughout the public spaces and, importantly, for the design of a Koori Hearing Room. This unique Hearing Room supports the Koori Engagement Program, which aims to improve Aboriginal access and participation at VCAT.
Lili Grlj, Associate, reflecting on the project: “I’d say, collaborating with Greenaway Architects and Court Services Victoria to bring their Bundoora Koori rooms to life, has been a career highlight. It was a really informative process and helped me become more aware of the cultural traditions of our First Nations People.”
VCAT Human Rights Division – Accessibility & Inclusivity
Venko worked with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to shift the experience of the Courts to focus on human-centred design for their new Human Rights Division at La Trobe Street.
Figure 3: VCAT Human Rights Division: Courtroom
This project challenged our team to consider some confronting realities for the elderly in relation to their human rights. It also challenged us to consider how our design impacts their experience & ability to navigate a VCAT facility.
Our design aimed to address specific challenges for the elderly within the courts environment including navigation, mobility, acoustics, visual cues and dementia specific needs.
Chantelle reflecting on her experience working with VCAT:
“I learnt a lot from VCAT…particularly how much they prioritize the community they support. There’s a genuine desire to design a system that works and is supportive.”
Our work began with collaborating with specialists such as Design for Dignity & Dementia Australia & the VCAT Koori Support Team to share in their knowledge. Through the consultation process we developed a palette and detailing that was grounded in research. We incorporated suitable textures, appropriate visual contrast and acoustics to suit the needs of the elderly, people with dementia and vision or hearing impaired. The simple addition of armrests to seating to assist with greater mobility. We designed visual cues through lighting, planting, joinery and panel detailing to help with navigation.
Our design removes physical barriers within the courts environment that would traditionally have aligned with an intimidating experience for users, setting a new tone of assistance & humanised experience.
The Therapeutic Recovery Centres – Comfort, Dignity, and Safety
The Therapeutic Recovery program aims to provide an alternative for people facing a sentence of imprisonment associated with drug and alcohol abuse. Venko’s design ethos focuses on the program’s intent—one of care, support, and recovery.
Figure 4: Therapeutic Recovery Centres – Consultation Room
The Therapeutic recovery centres are an all encompassing facility, providing an intersection of support from case managers, clinical advisors, alcohol and drug counsellors, the police and Victorian legal aid. These support services are able to work collectively towards treatment and recovery of community members.
We sought to create a counterbalance to the clinical and intensive nature of the facility’s urinalysis, testing, interview, and program rooms—spaces that we had previously observed to be lifeless. Our design features a soft green palette set against natural timber finishes, the introduction of comfortable seating, and the application of color and texture to walls for visual and acoustic comfort working together to craft a sense of calm. We capitalized on the flood of natural light by using a gum leaf motif glazing film on external windows, providing both a warm glow and visual privacy in the Centre.
The Therapeutic Recovery Centres exemplify that by treating people with humanity and crafting high-quality spaces, we demonstrate our commitment to their care and dignity.
Higher Jurisdiction Secure Docks – A Fairer Regional Experience
As a general practice within courtrooms across all jurisdictions, there is often a requirement for persons in custody (PIC) to be held in a dock facility within the courtroom. There is a concern that confining a defendant within a secure dock may influence the jury’s perception of that defendant.
Figure 5: Higher Jurisdiction Secure Dock – Typical Secure Dock Animation
In collaboration with Court Services Victoria (CSV), Venko designed a Secure Docks solution that could be adapted to various courtrooms and seamlessly rolled out Victoria wide.
Guided by research from the Courts Security Unit, the Victorian Government, and Victoria Police, our design focused on maintaining a balanced perception of the Person in Custody (PIC). It was essential that our design ensured openness and customizability, allowing judges the discretion to balance the safety of courtroom participants without influencing the jury’s perception.
The Venko team developed an adaptable and modular system where finishes can be swapped and adjusted to match surroundings, acoustic panelling can be added, and the scale of the docks is appropriate to the size of the space, ensuring that the secure docks blend seamlessly with the existing courtroom interiors. Our team collaborated closely with Hafele to develop a specialty glazing system to meet our requirements.
This project underscores our commitment to elevating the human experience of the spaces we create, shaping a secure & fairer judicial system across regional Victoria.
These projects—VCAT Bundoora, the VCAT Human Rights Division, Therapeutic Recovery Centres, and Higher Jurisdiction Secure Docks—demonstrate Venko’s commitment to designing judicial spaces that are both functional and responsive to the needs of diverse communities. By focusing on accessibility, cultural sensitivity, safety, and fairness, we aim to create environments that better reflect the communities they serve and contribute to more equitable experiences within the justice system.