References
Dr. Karl Kaltenbach O.A.M.
General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society of Australia 1982 – 2000
Having worked with Johannes for many years I can wholeheartedly endorse his impulse to help schools and other organizations in this exciting new way. He has spiritual integrity and creativity, which nourishes the human being on all levels.
Helen Cock,
Director, Melbourne Rudolf Steiner Teacher Training Seminar, Australia
Extract from a letter addressed
To the board and teachers of the Little Yarra Steiner School
(click here to view the whole letter)
…. Last year I wrote a book about Organic Architecture. In this book I included your Little Yarra Steiner School which for me was one of the big surprises of the exhibition “Transformative Architecture” in Dornach last year. I am happy to present you a copy of this book for your school library.
In addition to my book, the Dutch Iona Foundation commissioned me to make a traveling exhibition on Organic Architecture. To prepare this exhibition I have traveled around the world and in December (2001) I visited your school, where I was kindly shown around by Johannes Schuster.
It was a pleasure to see the buildings in reality. The pavilions are not just nice to look at (what already is a rare quality) but they also fit into the landscape perfectly and are connected to the pedagogical content of each class. I can hardly think of any other example in which this link between form and education is established in an equally satisfying way! In Johannes’ work I see a very fortunate and convincing synthesis between the middle European ability to translate ideas in form and the Australian sensitivity to the landscape and honesty in dealing with construction and material.
Therefore I do hope that you will be able to finish the whole school out of this architectural concept! To me this seems not only important for your school, but for the whole Waldorf School movement in the English speaking world. There are a lot of schools that want to build, especially in the United States, but there are hardly any experienced architects who work in this direction or satisfying examples. Most school buildings are therefore compromises and the result of several architects adding their own ideas in different times.
After visiting probably more than a hundred Waldorf Schools, I must say that you really guard a treasure and I hope you will manage to nourish it until it is fully grown ….
Pieter van der Ree
anthroposophical Architect, Holland
Curator and project manager of the traveling international exhibition on organic architecture and author of Organische Architektur, Der Bauimpuls Rudolf Steiner’s und die organische Architektur im 20. Jahrhundert, Verlag Freies Geistesleben 2001
What a delight to come across your work and writing. I’ve read everything on your site… What I find inspiring is that you are forging away at something which is so needed in the world of architecture and which is presently so lacking.
Keith Struthers
anthroposophical Architect, Cape Town, South Africa
http://www.naturalarchitecture.co.za/
I am very happy to provide a professional reference for Johannes Schuster.
Johannes and I have been working together for many years on a range of projects associated with the Little Yarra Steiner School and Kindergarten. From the architect’s perspective, working on schools is a complex task due to the often conflicting requirements of management and user groups. Johannes has worked on many occasions as an effective project coordinator, managing Little Yarra’s decision making process, and feeding this information back to our office to inform the design and construction process.
Related to this coordinating role, Johannes has been deeply involved in the conceptual design process, challenging the architects on many occasions in the pursuit of design excellence.
In addition to this, Johannes has carried the responsibility for providing an anthroposophical overlay to the design process, sharing his knowledge and research to add a deeper level of meaning to the creation of each building’s form, relevant to the age of the child and the purpose of the building.
I would be happy to elaborate on the above if necessary and can be contacted through my office.
Alvyn Williams,
Director, Soft Loud House Architects, outer Melbourne, Australia
I am pleased to furnish a statement about Johannes Schuster’s extensive role and breadth of expertise in the building of Little Yarra Steiner School.
Johannes was a founder of the Little Yarra Steiner School and, from the beginning, the principal person responsible for the school’s building program. His experience has spanned the range from working single-handedly to being part of a team of experts with a depth of professional consultancy.
Although not a trained architect, Johannes has a profound interest in architecture and, until recently, was responsible for the design of the school’s buildings. His work has been recognized internationally with the school chosen as one of three Australian examples in a book on organic architecture.
Johannes has been involved in all aspects of the building process including design, funding, project management, negotiation with local authorities, master planning. He is used to working closely with planners, architects, landscape architects, builders, contractors and client groups.
In all this Johannes has maintained a strong commitment to the building itself and has striven at Little Yarra to achieve the best outcome to serve the building’s intended use.
We have a unique built environment which continues to stimulate interest and contributes to our steadily growing enrolments. I am more than happy to discuss the school’s buildings and Johannes’ central role in their establishment and can be contacted through the school office.
Jim Taylor,
Business Manager, Little Yarra Steiner School, outer Melbourne, Australia
I met Johannes Schuster in September 1999 when I visited the Little Yarra Steiner School as a guest teacher and prospective employee of the school.
Any visitor to the school is bound to be impressed by the aesthetics of the buildings and the way they harmonise with the beautiful setting of the Upper Yarra Valley as well as their functionality and appropriateness as educational rooms.
I was quickly informed that Johannes was the inspirer and architect of these buildings, that they had been growing in number steadily during the fairly brief life of the school, and that more were planned under his direction as the school grew.
This was certainly one of the chief factors in my own decision to relocate from England and accept the task of coordinating the development of the High School at the Little Yarra Steiner School.
Johannes and I worked together for 5 years in a very successful and productive partnership which saw the school expand to a permanent class 12.
I have no hesitation at all in recommending Johannes’ services to any organisation which plans to build with an eye for aesthetics and function, rather than mere utilitarianism. Johannes’ impulse is grounded in the architectural work of Rudolf Steiner and he is a master at carrying this design impulse into material buildings.
His work speaks for itself.
Jonathan Swann,
Senior Waldorf Maths & Science Teacher, High School Coordinator at the Little Yarra Steiner School 2000 – 2006