Catering for co-ed students from Reception to Year 6, dwp’s design of St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School has seen the creation of a learning environment that fosters connection and joy.
The existing school has been renovated and extended, with the works to be delivered in stages. The first stage has seen an existing two-storey building reinvigorated, with the integration of colour both inside and outside disrupting the streetscape.
The angular form of the building channels the Parish Church, with nature referenced through the implementation of perforated metal balustrading, colour selections, oriented strand board detailing and window signage. Tree motifs on the balcony balustrade provide shade on the ground floor.
The outdoor spaces are imagined as a series of formal and informal learning spaces, with ever-changing aluminium fins akin to tree trunks and oversized downpipes creating interest. External bench seats allow for outdoor classes and social activities.
A new breakout space has been created which connects nine classrooms and encourages creativity. Learning pods and reading nooks provide students with places of study or sanctuary depending on their preference. A teaching kitchen, additional classrooms, sports hall and breakout spaces have all been earmarked for the later stages.
Materials have been selected with durability in mind, with louvred windows and sliding glazed doors allowing for cross ventilation. Clerestory windows located to the south ensure the classrooms are filled with natural light.
