The new Science & Maths Centre at Vermont Secondary College is a stand-alone facility, bridged by a new glazed walkway to the school’s existing 1970s Science Wing. A new fern and rain garden to the south fills the slip of space between the new and old buildings, providing a forest backdrop to an outdoor deck that annexes the Physics Laboratory.

Client

Victorian School Building Authority

Project Type

Education/ Science & Creative Arts

Completed

2017

Traditional Owners

Wurundjeri people

A new home for STEM

Vermont Secondary College considers STEM education a central focus of the school. A STEM education, where the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics are applied to problem solving, underpins innovation and plays a critical role in Australia’s economic and business growth. The Science & Maths Centre is a hub pulsing with the energy of its learning community, with soaring ceilings, large sliding doors, and minimal corridors. Glazing is maximised where appropriate to bring in views of the Science Gardens and make connections to the outside.

Efficiency in planning

Upon entering the facilities from a generous outdoor deck, students are greeted by a Flexible Learning Space with a sculptural faceted ply ceiling. This space is a vessel for the flow of staff and students between scheduled class times. The laboratories, utility infrastructure, and staff office are designed with connectivity in mind, branching off the Flexible Learning Space. There is a logical hierarchy and zoning of spaces, so that staff and students can intuitively find their way around the Science & Maths Centre.

The overall ambience achieved is one of order, with spaces that are ready for purposeful activity.