Learning Areas that Flow Seamlessly Between Indoor and Outdoor Environments
ZUCCOLI, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA
The Northern Territory’s Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School is part of a new educational precinct planned to accommodate a government and private school with shared central facilities. The precinct master plan provides an Early Learning Centre and Primary School for 450 students along with supporting community amenities.
A key principle of the design is that every learning area flows seamlessly to outside learning opportunities and internally to supporting breakout and common learning areas.
Providing children with skills and knowledge in a rapidly changing, interconnected world is a challenge. The Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School design has therefore focused on physical environment factors affecting learning outcomes including; Naturalness, Student Centered Learning and Student Engagement.
There is a Building Management System installed within the building to allow automated Breezway Altair Powerlouvre Windows to be opened to let natural light and fresh air in during favourable outdoor conditions. This reduces the need for air conditioning all year round. The use of Breezway Louvre Windows also relates to the emphasis for the school to have indoor-outdoor connections that encourage learning to occur.
This project has won the 2019 Australian Institute of Architecture Educational Architecture Award for the Northern Territory Chapter and the 2019 Building Designers Association of Australia National Design Excellence Award.
Architect: Rossi Kourounis
Rossi Architects, Bennett Design & Walter Brooke
Tel: 08 8947 1513
Email: rossi@rossiarchitects.com.au
Website: www.rossiarchitects.com.au
Photographer: NG Photographics
Tel: 0405 195 140
Email: info@ngphotographics.com
Website: www.ngphotographics.com