Located in the growing suburb of Armstrong Creek, St Catherine of Siena is a new Catholic primary school providing an integral community facility to the local area. After delivering a much-loved stage 1 – a two storey learning hub and play areas – demand for enrolments increased and stage 2 commenced shortly after.
Stage 2 incorporates administration, library, and learning facilities, as well as abundant outdoor play areas and an undercover double court. The design creates a strong civic presence amongst the surrounding low set homes and integrates the Catholic identity into the façade through an illuminated cross detail.
As you enter the school a linking bridge connecting stage 1 and 2 frames a welcoming gateway into the central plaza providing a gathering space for the whole school community. Internally, learning environments are designed to be flexible with the ability to adapt and evolve over time as the school requires.
A key focus was on creating a connection between indoor and outdoor learning spaces. Extensive landscaping work has created various outdoor learning settings encouraging active and passive play and exploration, accommodating individuals and small groups through to large gatherings.
Plant species were carefully considered to include only endemic plants to the Armstrong Creek Region to facilitate awareness of the local biodiversity.