Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School Kingsville – Stage 1

Project Details

Architects
Centrum Architects

Award
Winner: Category 4 Renovation/Modernisation under $1m

Address
380 Geelong Road, Kingsville 3012 Victoria

Submitter
Andrew Rowe

Cost
$ 315,290

Photographer
Mark Fergus Photography

Project Overview

Centrum have been working with Corpus Christi School since 2009 to gradually transform the campus and reestablish the school within a rapidly changing area of the inner west. This project is the first stage of a master plan revised in 2013 to provide purposeful and age-specific open learning areas and facilities in ‘neighbourhoods’ distributed around the campus. The new learning areas will serve to stabilise and cap the growing enrolments to the school, setting the structure for the coming years.

This project (the fourth Centrum have undertaken for Corpus Christi) was the result of a thorough masterplanning process which saw its third revision in 2013. During that time, and in each iteration of the masterplan, the entire school and parish community consisting of students, parents, staff, leadership and parishioners have been given the opportunity to respond to questionnaires and provide comment on masterplan proposals. This project, is a direct result of the desired expansion of the school to cater for the growing number of families in their community seeking Catholic education as their first choice at Corpus Christi.

This new learning neighbourhood, adapts and extends an existing pair of classrooms provides 3 open learning areas, withdrawal room and a special projects area for three, Grade 3/4 composite classes. The design facilitates the school’s vision of delivering personalised learning to its students in the form of a ‘learning neighbourhood’ – a cluster of three open learning spaces, critically supported by a purpose-built ‘special projects’ space (for wet construction), a small-group withdrawal space and external learning spaces. The learning spaces are separate, but open – defined by walls only half the depth of each space and the location of teaching walls. The central special projects and enquiry learning area is playfully defined by coloured leaves printed on the carpet around a central structural column. Importantly, the extension maximises the acoustic absorption of the surface areas to facilitate the open learning environment.

The modern materials of the new extension provide an energy efficient envelope with high levels of insulation and double glazing. It rises up and over the existing learning spaces to provide clerestory windows, stack ventilation and natural light to both the existing and new learning spaces. New windows are doors are ‘carved’ into the building revealing playful colours that define a character for each space and the depth of the recesses provide shade and cover to the openings.

Key elements for ESD principles include:
? Passive solar design for glazing orientation and shading
? Natural indirect day-lighting through clerestory windows
? Natural cross ventilation and expelling hottest air through highlight louvers
? Efficient envelope and glazing