THE IDEA

The new Junior School at Ringwood Secondary College replaced a series of existing relocatable buildings with a purpose-built home for the Year 7 & 8 student cohort, to support them in their transition through the middle school years. 

"The design of the Junior School building at Ringwood Secondary College has definitely honoured the educational brief that was set and has exceeded our expectations. Our students and teachers love being in this building!"

Michael Phillips, Principal

THE SOLUTION

Drawing inspiration from the College’s long-standing reputation for excellence in performing arts, the Junior School environment incorporates large indoor and outdoor spaces for performance and presentations. The building features an activated central spine and gallery space with tiered seating/circulation stairs to provide a multi-dimensional space for gatherings, movement, learning and presentations, accommodating use by class groups, year levels or the whole student cohort. Direct visual connections to learning communities frame opportunities for casual observation and interaction as a cohesive and connected community.

We were working on a graduated site, which created complexities around split levels and angles of workable space. To achieve the required room configurations and layouts we tilted the roof, creating a double height space with tiered seating which is not prescriptive in use. Rather, this flexible, double-height space allows for informal group learning, assemblies, presentations, and performances. It links indoor and outdoor learning spaces and provides areas to display work and awards.

An Australiana inspired palette of warm timber, olive green and wattle yellow was selected to reference the nearby Dandenong Ranges. These textures and hues contribute to the creation of light-filled, inspirational spaces that have a connection to nature. 


THE IMPACT

With secondary students forecast to embark on over five careers in their lifetime, learning environments need to provide a flexible framework that helps learners prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, that cannot be comprehended today.

The classrooms and breakout spaces have allowed for flexible and adaptable approaches to teaching, with just as much attention being given to the relationship between indoor and outdoor areas and interconnected activity. Engagement levels and productivity have been enhanced by some of the following elements- high level acoustic quality that buffers external noise and temperature control throughout the building. Importantly these features and the building finish will enable significant savings to be made in long term maintenance costs. 

Michael Phillips, Principal