Kuyim Primary School
Delivered in collaboration with K2LD, Kuyim’s architectural, interior, and landscape design reflect a unifying cultural narrative developed with Traditional Owners.
| Location: | Bunurong Country, Pakenham VIC |
| Status: | Complete |
| Awards: |
Victorian School Design Awards 2025 - Best School Project Above $15M (Finalist) |
Located in the fast-growing suburb of Pakenham, Kuyim Primary School caters for around 525 students. This compact campus is located adjacent to a new ELC and aims to foster an inclusive connection with the primary school and the growing community. Delivered through the Victorian Government’s New Schools 2025 Bundle B program, the project provides modern, inclusive facilities that support diverse learning needs and strengthen community connection.
The campus includes a Learning Community Building, Administration and Library, Community Hub, and a variety of outdoor learning and play spaces. Designed as a welcoming community hub, the school celebrates diversity, embraces universal design principles, and offers flexibility for evolving teaching approaches and future technologies.
The architectural design for Kuyim Primary School is grounded in three key contextual layers that reflect the region’s history and landscape. The first responds to the expanding suburban context of Pakenham, an emerging medium-density area shaped by Melbourne’s grid and framed by parklands and community spaces. The second layer acknowledges the site’s colonial agricultural past, where farming allotments once overlaid the natural terrain.
The third and most significant layer honours the ancient landscape and cultural heritage of the Bunurong people, whose seasonal movement patterns and enduring trade routes continue to shape the region today. Located on Bunurong Country, the school design celebrates this deep connection to land through architecture, interiors, and landscape that reflect and respect Country.
