Byford Catholic College
Project Details
Architects
Patterson Architect Group
Address
115 Abernethy Road, Byford 6122
Submitter
NBRSARCHITECTURE
Cost
$11,500,000
Project Overview
NBRSARCHITECTURE provided landscaping architectural services for the master plan, design and documentation of a staged development of a Kindergarten to Year 12 Primary and Secondary High School. Play and learning opportunities have been greatly enhanced through fixed play equipment, open space and courtyard areas that provide limitless outdoor learning opportunities.
NBRSARCHITECTS provided outdoor learning spaces for Byford Catholic College that allow students, staff, parents and local community groups to assemble, engage and learn in an inviting and safe environment.
The external landscape spaces have been designed for flexibility. Specific use play areas are clustered around kindergarten learning spaces, which in turn, host shared activity facilities. Spaces can easily cater for large groups as well as smaller activity groups. Large sliding doors facilitate connections between classrooms and incidental spaces as well as external play spaces.
The Kindergarten and Pre-Primary learning spaces promote the opportunity to set up different learning experiences. The open, connected areas allow the students to move between the adjoining learning spaces with confidence. The glass doors and surrounding windows integrate natural lighting and promote an open and transparent learning environment that is welcoming and safe.
The design and open layout encourages students to interact, gather for group activities and collaborate and learn with one another. This concept extends to the interconnecting courtyard between the Early Learning and Year 1 and 2 classrooms which functions as an additional outdoor classroom during the day. It also encourages interaction between students as they arrive for the start of their day, as well as interaction between parents/carers who gather while waiting to collect children at the end of the school day.
The nature playgrounds are a wonderful inclusion to the college and provide the opportunity for students to foster their curiosity and help them gain important life skills. The obvious flow between the inside and outside areas promotes a fantastic learning environment for our early year’s pedagogy. Play equipment was designed and installed to a naturalistic style in response to the principles of the architecture, the site and the desire to allow the children to connect to nature, with stone, water, wood, plants, sands, gravels, mulches all featuring.
The new teaching and learning environments are vibrant and happy spaces that students, staff and parents love to be a part of.
