New South Wales
They say clover ignites soil, it converts nitrogen from the air and deposits rich nutrients back into the ground for healthy growth.
St Patrick’s Primary School at Lochinvar is a literal manifestation of the three leaf clover. This pedagogical pattern won SHAC the Blacket Award for Stage One back in 2018. Now three stages, and five years, later the Masterplan has come to fruition, the school is complete a cluster of learning leaves sprinkled on a country meadow, fit for country kids and clever teachers.
This project is an exemplary masterplanning and architectural solution to meet the needs of a growing school community, its staff, and its students, who started the project with a legacy of outdated and unsuitable school buildings. The design accomplishes much with little. Modesty scaled buildings are clustered to form a new school address and heart, creating the armature for new methods of teaching and learning.
The new St. Patrick’s Primary School in Lochinvar is a charming testament to thoughtful design and community-focused education. Reminiscent of a tranquil village, the school exudes a gentle country atmosphere that fosters a strong sense of community and wellbeing among staff and students alike.
The innovative layout, with each year housed in a separate pavilion, promotes a sense of belonging and allows for personalised learning experiences. These pavilions, interconnected by covered walkways, seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor spaces, encouraging exploration and creativity.
The school achieves remarkable functionality and sustainability. Utilising robust yet inexpensive materials and simple traditional construction methods, it ensures cost-effectiveness and durability. Natural ventilation, ample daylight, and thermal mass materials further enhance the learning environment, creating spaces of comfort and tranquillity.
The realisation of the masterplan, the creation of pods for St Patrick’s Lochinvar has reimagined educational possibilities. Each grade experiences a connectedness of physical space which enhances and encourages collegiality and a deep sense of unity for all the students. Traditional school design centred on individual classrooms. Our architecturally designed pods, remove the boundaries, allowing flexibility of use, natural movement, and autonomy for students. The structural components centre around a common area, with addition of the staff hub, think tank, and outdoor area (with self contained bathrooms). School life and learning has been significantly boosted by the completion of this project.
Edwards & Vickerman Consulting Engineers PTY LTD, Mechanical
Electrical Projects Australia, Electrical Consultant
McCallum PFCA, Hydraulic Consultant
MPC Consulting Engineers, Civil Consultant
Principle Project Management, Project Manager
SureScope Building Certifiers, PCA
Terras Landscape Architects, Landscape Consultant
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
