Architecture firms Grimshaw and BVN designed the first high-rise public school in the Australian state of New South Wales.
The proposal will combine Arthur Phillip High School (APHS) and Parramatta Public School (PPS), two schools in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney, into a 14-story building that can accommodate 2,000 high schoolers and 1,000 primary school students, according to ArchDaily.
The concept is based around the Schools-within-Schools (SWIS) concept, which which puts a focus on smaller, more personalized units across multiple grades. The school is made up of “home bases,” consisting of students of varying ages. The home bases will hold 280 students in the primary school and 330 in secondary.
“The school buildings act as the social infrastructure for the transformation of individuals and their communities through learning, inclusivity, and outreach, with wellbeing and playfulness arising out of the integration of the physical and the environmental,” Grimshaw Partner Andrew Cortese said in a statement.
The secondary school will have mezzanines, outdoor learning terraces, and science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics facilities. The primary school will have outdoor learning and play space.
To create a sense of community, the bases will have open spaces and comfortable furniture.
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Oct 4, 2023
New high school in Minnesota provides career pathways for students
This 90-acre school campus also features myriad sports facilities.
K-12 Schools | Oct 2, 2023
4 design strategies for successful K-12 magnet schools
Clark Nexsen's Donna Francis, AIA, Principal, and Becky Brady, AIA, share four reasons why diverse K-12 magnet schools require diverse design.
Contractors | Sep 25, 2023
Balfour Beatty expands its operations in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Balfour Beatty is expanding its leading construction operations into the Tampa Bay area offering specialized and expert services to deliver premier projects along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
K-12 Schools | Sep 5, 2023
CHPS launches program to develop best practices for K-12 school modernizations
The non-profit Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) recently launched an effort to develop industry-backed best practices for school modernization projects. The Minor Renovations Program aims to fill a void of guiding criteria for school districts to use to ensure improvements meet a high-performance threshold.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 115 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2023
Stantec, HDR, Page, HOK, and Arcadis North America top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
K-12 Schools | Aug 7, 2023
Two new school projects part of larger district-wide improvement plans
Gladstone Elementary in Rhode Island, and Plum Grove Middle School in Illinois, reflect trends toward collaboration and consolidation.
Market Data | Aug 1, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending increases slightly in June
National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% in June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Spending is up 18% over the past 12 months. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.07 trillion in June.
K-12 Schools | Jul 31, 2023
Austin’s new Rosedale School serves students with special needs aged 3 to 22
In Austin, the Rosedale School has opened for students with special needs aged 3 to 22. The new facility features sensory rooms, fully accessible playgrounds and gardens, community meeting spaces, and an on-site clinic. The school serves 100 learners with special needs from across Austin Independent School District (ISD).
