High-Rise Modern Learning Environment

St Andrew’s Cathedral School has over 130 years of history, and is Sydney’s quintessential city school, a place as diverse, changing and future-focused as the CBD that surrounds us (St Andrews Cathedral School).  St Andrew’s Cathedral School, or SACS, has been transforming their facilities to meet with contemporary pedagogy and provide a collaborative learning and teaching experience.

NBRSARCHITECTURE have worked with a number of secondary schools to transform their existing learning surroundings, and create spaces that extend beyond the traditional classroom, placing greater emphasis on alternative learning environments. To cater for the constantly evolving society and culture that surrounds us, schools must be multi-modal in regards to resources and communication. This culture demands a different spatial organisation for educational buildings to remain relevant and cater for changing pedagogy and technology.

In 2016, SACS and the NBRSARCHITECTURE Interiors team began the update of Year 7 and 8 on Level 6 at St Andrew’s House Campus. The aim was to create more learning spaces, whilst also making improvements to wayfinding, staff facilities and student commons, which is a feat in a city high rise school where space is at a premium. The upgrade also updated the Student Common Rooms, with dedicated pinboards and Sports Displays, as well as the combined Sports and PDHPE Staff Office, a new Deputy Head office and a refurbished Staff Common Room. NBRS Interiors also brought the Year 7 and 8 designated colour to the floor, and collaborated with Skye Molyneux of Bleux Graphic Design to formulate the room and space identification graphics.

Throughout the new spaces, furniture is elastic in its placement and use. For each space furniture has been considered to provide for a comfortable optimal learning environment, whilst also taking into consideration methods of increasing the pieces flexibility. NBRS Interiors introduced to the school a flexible and interlocking classroom desk module from Sweden. This desk system has been enthusiastically embraced by both teachers and students, and they are installed in all classrooms where possible. The general design philosophy is to introduce glazed partitions to enhance light and visual connections between learning spaces and open areas.