2005: Country Schools, Community and Collaboration

Delivering a school project is a collaborative exercise. In 2005 we were involved in a number of country school projects, where we came to understand the true value of community.

Macclesfield (above) and Gembrook Primary Schools, were two of these projects. Both had a long history of delivering education in the community and both had old school houses with sentimental value. Working closely with the students, staff and broader community we were able to retain and restore the school houses in an integrated design solution.

Our approach to Master Planning is always inclusive. We believe that it is essential that the school community are involved in the process to ensure that the end result is a school that responds to the particular needs of that community. A template design will never allow for a tailored solution, and we pride ourselves on the variety of work that we have produced.

Last we held a master planning workshop at St Martin de Porres Primary School in Laverton. We worked with the staff, community and students consulting them to find out what they wanted for their school’s future, so that we can include their ideas in our Master Plan. The image below is of Jenny discussing the planning process with the students, who are always genuinely were delighted that their input is considered let alone valued. .

We learnt very early on that our number one value with education design is to always listen to the most important voice - that of the student.