New Local Junior School Building

We have been proudly working in collaboration with fellow local architect, Mark Golden to design an exciting new classroom wing based on the Reggio Emilio pedagogy, located in Wagga Wagga. The Reggio Emilia approach is an innovative and inspiring educational philosophy for early childhood and primary education, which values the child as strong, capable and resilient; rich with wonder and knowledge. Our team explored this pedagogy and delved deeper to better understand this progressive approach to ensure the development of a scheme which is in harmony with the Reggio Emilia principles. To achieve this, new buildings were sited to enhance connections with existing buildings and provide physical links, including sight lines to outdoor spaces.

A key component of the approach was to create a connection with the outdoors and to bring nature indoors to evoke wonderment and spark a curious interest in the world around us. Our carefully considered classroom design brings in expanses of mood boosting natural sunlight, expressive uses of natural materials such as timber, and colour palettes which symbolise nature; consisting of deep blue, warm grey and off white. Bright and garish colours typically found in primary school classrooms have been shunned. Given the light and warmth which will beautifully filter into the spaces, there is potential to engage children with impressive jungles of indoor green plantings which will train and meander, bringing vitality and vibrancy to the classroom space. We are absolutely honoured to be an active participant to bringing dynamic and innovative learning spaces to local children, giving them a freedom to interact, think independently, co-operate and build deeper interpersonal relationships. A big thankyou to ICG Constructions for their work to date in undertaking this meaningful project.