Overview
Providing a safe haven
With a long-held commitment to delivering meaningful support to the community, Schiavello is proud to have partnered with leading Western Australian community services organisation Ruah on the development of its new Angela Wright Bennett Centre. Being able to collaborate and work together as a single source for Ruah represents the time and care Schiavello provide to their clients and the reliability proven by being the sole furniture provider.
The Centre provides a safe haven for women and children who have experienced family and domestic violence, helping to access the support they need to be safe, heal, recover and thrive.
“Ruah we will continue to lead the charge to end family and domestic violence – through research and evaluation, collaboration and strategic partnerships, development and testing of further ground-breaking initiations, as well as ongoing advocacy and education we will be able to transform the lives of thousands of women and children” said Debra Zanella, CEO of Ruah Community Services.
The Space
All encompassing for ease and security
The seven-storey, purpose-built facility was developed in close consultation with Aboriginal Women Elders, along with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women who have lived experience of family and domestic violence.
Their input helped ensure the space is one where women and their children feel safe, welcomed, supported in healing, and empowered to rebuild their lives. The facility houses Ruah’s Karlup Service — “Karlup” being a Noongar word meaning “a place where you belong and feel safe.” This is the first service of its kind in Australia, dedicated to providing comprehensive recovery and healing support for women and their children impacted by family and domestic violence.
It also includes 13 self-contained accommodation units, purposefully designed to offer safe, short-term housing that provides the privacy and security essential for recovery and healing.
The Design
Calming presence with nature-inspired palette
The interiors, by leading design firm Architectus, aimed to embrace a nature-inspired colour palette and intuitive design to create a calming, welcoming environment for women and children. Flexible floor plans ensure the spaces can adapt over time while maintaining their functionality and purpose.
The vision behind the facility was to provide a peaceful and secure setting for families. A key priority in its design was to bring together a range of essential services in one location—reducing the risk of retraumatisation and supporting a smoother, more coordinated journey to recovery.
Under one roof, women and their children can now access a comprehensive network of supports, including peer assistance from trained staff with lived experience, dedicated case managers known as Koorta Guides, counselling for both adults and children, legal aid, bulk-billing medical and dental care, clinical psychology, alcohol and other drug support, employment and education programs, financial assistance, and housing support.
Schiavello Solutions
Long lasting and reliable
“Our furniture is designed with longevity and reusability in mind, allowing us to re-purpose and donate items that are still in fantastic condition to important projects such as this,” explains Luke Bayley, Schiavello WA State Director.
The commitment to the circular economy was one of the key reasons Ruah were keen to partner with Schiavello.
He continues, “The opportunity to be making a positive impact to the women and children Ruah is supporting within the building itself, but also to the environment is a huge win-win.”
Ruah CEO Debra Zanella says they are very grateful for the ongoing partnership between Schiavello and Ruah. “This furniture will make a massive difference in helping to create a space where women and children feel comfortable and can take the time they need for healing and recovery.”
One year on and Schiavello continue to be the primary source for change and adjustments throughout the project. Upon completion the needs of certain spaces had changed which involved the Schiavello team reconfiguring some spaces and repurposing certain products around the building and to another client centre, ensuring no product goes to waste. As one area became more office based, the replacement of a boardroom table with workstations was required to ensure their employees obtained the resourced they needed as the service evolves.
As we constantly evaluate the needs and wants of our clients, it ensures that we are providing ongoing support to continue our ongoing partnerships as a trustworthy end-to-end business.
Photography by Dion Robeson