Westgarth Primary School was founded in 1924 shortly before the Great Depression, since the early 1970’s the school has been spilt across both Clarke Street and Brooke Street sites. Located in an inner northern suburb of Melbourne the school is popular with local families and the site is a well-used asset to the local community out of hours.

Law Architects were engaged by the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) to complete an Asset Management plan, assessing the existing facilities and identifying future projects as part of a masterplan.

Working in close collaboration with the school, it became clear that the school required a full-size gymnasium to serve its growing cohort, as well as new learning spaces. 

The design was developed to open up the heart of the campus, address drainage issues and provide a considered street facing presence, balancing the large form of the gymnasium within the predominantly residential streetscape. The learning spaces are raised to the first floor, allowing for future infill below through later projects, these spaces are set back from the street responding to and framing views of a prominent native tree being retained, giving the feeling of learning in a tree house.

The new project delivers competition grade sporting facilities, the ability for the school to gather in a large group and cutting-edge contemporary learning spaces whilst opening up the heart of the campus with new central play and court spaces for both students and the local community alike.

Photography - Dianna Snape