The updated Geelong College Junior School design resembles a miniature town plan as squares, plazas and landscaped courtyards are sequenced in between the buildings. Some aspects of the project are more public, others more protected and some frame the landscape.

The multipurpose hall allows the whole school to gather and through its location at the school entry, assists community and after-hours access. Acting as a town hall it frames the entry court; it is a shared, open and a hardworking space.

 A stage is orientated to existing classroom pavilions which have been transformed into music tuition and drama spaces. Together the buildings operate as a performing arts precinct.

The early learning centre is sequentially zoned creating year level communities, each with its own identity. A central landscaped courtyard is shared between year levels. Four early learning spaces and 12 classrooms spanning prep to year three are grouped around shared spaces over two levels. Here, the fanning zig zag plan form brings south light into the learning environments, allows cross ventilation and provides long views across the playing fields.

Each learning community is linked by a continuous veranda, promoting outdoor spaces for learning, gathering and play. Outdoor teaching spaces and kitchens provide reference points along the veranda in the primary levels. A set of windows punctuate the wall, its inside face is made deliberately deep containing the shared equipment, art stores and resources. These deep sills create a series of nooks configured to the scale of the children

The redevelopment of the Junior School facilities allows the College to continue to develop the innovative and expansive curriculum offered, and presents an attractive, unified and safe environment for the whole school community.

Lighting: Darkon, Living Edge. Finishes: MPR, Forbo Marmoleum flooring, Interface Carpet, Instyle Ecoustic, Fethers, Knauf AMF, Laminex, Abet Laminati laminates. Fittings & Fixtures: Caroma, Dorf, Assa Abloy, Dexion, Interloc.

Photography: Katya Menshikova