Mt Lawley Primary School Site Visit – ‘Together we did it’
29 Jun 2015
As part of the CEFPI WA Chapter site visits for 2015, one of our more recent events had special meaning to the school and the greater community. In July of 2012, a deliberately lit fire caused $20 million dollars worth of to Mt Lawley Primary School that was established in 1912.
Amazingly only 13 days later the school became fully operational on a temporary site. On Tuesday the 12th of May, Principal, Mr Don Barba, proudly explained how by working with EIW architects Phillip Idle and Tony D’Andrea, they had turned a moment of adversity into a celebration.
The new two storey, 12-classroom structure cleverly incorporated the buildings original façade, whilst creating well lit spaces flexible for the teaching pedagogy of the 21st century.
The new building also managed to protect the open space and maintain the existing natural feel of the original school. With a banner flying proudly from the school’s verandah with the message ‘Together we did it’, not only did the CEFPI members get to see an impressive teaching and learning space, yet also what can be achieve when a challenge is imposed upon a school community.
Peter Allen, Director of Teaching and Learning, Scotch College WA
