Mamre Anglican School

Mamre Anglican School is a low fee paying private school in a lower socio-economic area of western Sydney.

At the beginning of the design process, the school was growing in numbers and provided education up to Year 10.

The aim of the project, designed by Day Bukh Architects, was to create a purpose-designed seniors’ study centre for Years 11 and 12.

The project presented the school an opportunity to provide a new identity for the school as a whole.

Located at the entry to the school, the building is presented immediately.

It was placed at 90 degrees to the existing administration building to form an outdoor courtyard.

2015 was the first year the school had a Year 11 class and 2016 a Year 12 class.

The project provided continuity for parents and children – one school and one campus for all of their secondary education.

The project scope included:

a new senior study centre for Years 11 and 12
two specialist lab rooms
two classrooms
three smaller classrooms
staff room
an open learning area

The building had to be flexible in terms of room sizes and function.

Flexibility was of particular importance given the large number of subjects on offer at HSC level and that in small schools, this generates many small classes.

The Day Bukh Architects scheme introduced a central learning space flanked by classrooms.

This central learning space was designed in the manner of an open reading area in a library.

It is a communal space for students, well-suited to the system that contains free periods for study.

The central learning space provides students with Wi-Fi, seating, niches with built-in seating, a kitchenette, and a circular meeting room.

This room is flanked by operable doors that allow for classrooms to open up into this space to create one large open area.

This area can be used for school functions or school assembly and is designed to be large enough, and within the guidelines of an examination room, for HSC exams.

The structure is a series of 40m long steel trusses supported on an 8 x 10 m grid.

This allowed all walls to be non-load bearing and removable, ensuring maximum flexibility into the future.

Day Bukh Architects selected materials based on their textural appeal, low environmental impact, their ability to age gracefully, thermal performance, and durability and that they were different to the existing brick building found elsewhere at the school.

A high degree of contrast in colour and texture was considered essential in establishing a fun, vibrant, and happy learning environment.

The building contains operable glass at various heights and directions to maximize cross ventilation.

And Low-E glass, water saving taps and toilets, compact fluorescent and led lighting were used.

Project Details

Project size – 1,000 m2
Site area – 40,000 m2
Project budget – $2,700,000
Completion date – 2014
Building levels – 1

Project Team

Architecture

Day Bukh Architects

Located in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Day Bukh Architects has a public, urban, and residential design focus.

They are deeply interested in designing ecological and sustainable buildings for the Australian context. Their ecological concerns extend beyond reducing energy use to social sustainability.

This involves designing buildings that last by using environmentally friendly materials that withstand the harsh Australian environment, and also designing buildings that can be adapted for reuse, thus ensuring longevity.

www.daybukharchitects.com.au

Photography

Brett Boardman

Brett is a well-established commercial and architectural photographer based in Sydney.

www.brettboardman.com