ST BERNADETTE’S PRIMARY SCHOOL

About This Project

This major refurbishment of St Bernadette’s Primary School required creation of a ‘learning heart’ centred around a new Discovery Centre.  The Discovery Centre includes a library, study zones for students & teachers, a media room and a central gathering space. Support spaces such as reading recovery and teacher resource areas are located at the edges of this central space.

The existing 1960s classroom building has been fully refurbished to include five light filled classrooms. The classrooms are interconnected with glazed sliding doors and shared external learning decks that have been cut into the existing building between the classrooms. The decks provide natural light and ventilation and the opportunity for indoor / outdoor learning within the classroom environment.  All learning spaces can be flexibly connected or separated as required whist allowing visual connections between the spaces at all times.

At the school entrance a new reception and Welcome Lounge create a warm and inviting entrance connecting directly to a new Community Kitchen. The Community Kitchen is a space for learning, sharing and gathering. A kitchen often invites conversation, and accordingly the Community Kitchen is designed for use by both the broader community for meetings and events as well as for student activities, informal meetings and celebrations.

The design incorporates a natural Vic Ash timber floor which connects the Welcome Lounge, Community Kitchen, Discovery Centre and Learning Walk spaces.  This enables a seamless connection of the refurbishment which extends across buildings of three different eras.

This project was completed in conjunction with NEAD Architecture.