Whitehouse to take on the Victorian market

SYDNEY: One of Australia's leading fashion education providers has announced bold expansion plans for the new year.

The Sydney-headquartered Whitehouse Institute of Design, which credits designers Yeojin Bae and Camilla Topper-Freeman among its high-profile alumni, is set to open a campus in Melbourne's central business district.

The institute signed a long-term lease for the heritage-listed Royal Mail Exchange building earlier this month, with fit-outs and construction expected to be finalised for the campus' March 2008 launch.

Managing director Leanne Whitehouse said the organisation had been eyeing the Melbourne market for some time.
"We have extensively researched the market and strategically located premises that would enable us to provide students and staff with the most up-to-date equipment and facilities to deliver our programs," she said.

The campus, which is located directly opposite to Southern Cross Station at the corner of Spencer and Bourke Street, is set over 3500 square metres with central access to trams, trains and buses in the Docklands district. The fit-out will include a large auditorium and lecture theatres, studios, classrooms, computer labs, a library, student and staff amenities, administration, breakout areas and an outdoor courtyard.

The initiative follows news that Whitehouse is set to introduce a three-year accredited design course in 2008. Announcing the academic coup early last month, Whitehouse said it would be one of the few private design colleges to achieve degree accreditation with disciplines across fashion, interior and styling.

"This is very exciting for all our students and really takes our institute to the next level," she said at the time. "To be acknowledged academically in this arena, where we are already producing an abundance of success stories is a massive coup and just the beginning of huge changes we have in store."

While Whitehouse said it was too early to comment on which courses and programs would be offered for the Melbourne campus, she said the institute was committed to maintaining "a high quality, high education program."
The Whitehouse Institute of Design currently offers workshops, degrees, certificates, diplomas, HSC VET in schools and short courses through its Sydney CBD headquarters. 

By Assia Benmedjdoub