WARRACKNABEAL SPECIAL DEVELOPMENTAL SCHOOL
The Warracknabeal Special Developmental School was constructed as part of a new educational precinct that brings together the local primary school, secondary college and SDS onto a single campus. The SDS learning building has been designed in tandem with the rest of the campus to create a single inclusive, fully accessible community that minimises barriers between mainstream and special needs learning, pointing the way forward for the future of education in Warracknabeal.
Client
Victorian School Building Authority
Project Type
Education/ Special Needs
Traditional Owners
Jardwadjali people
Completed
2023
Easy wayfinding
The Warracknabeal Special Developmental School has been designed with ease of access and wayfinding in mind. It is composed of two wings—junior and senior—each with interconnected learning studios supported by a ‘spine’ of retreat spaces, collaborative spaces, staff workspaces, and amenities. The wings are linked by a central volume housing the reception, offices, and shared facilities such as the art studio, learning kitchen and café, and multipurpose space, where the entire SDS community can come together to learn, congregate, and celebrate.
The junior and senior wings are low slung forms with intimately scaled interiors, whilst the central shared spaces are generously proportioned with soaring ceilings befitting their communal purposes. Sculptural pleated ceilings in key spaces provide wayfinding cues and acoustic attenuation. The interior colour palette of calming blues, greens, and neutrals avoids overstimulating students whilst providing visual relief from the harsh, sun-bleached colours of the semi-arid local climate.
Safe and inviting
The Special Developmental School was strategically sited at the campus frontage to give it increased visibility to the local community and a direct connection to the bus loop and drop-off, which ensures ease of access and clear lines of sight for staff supervision and student safety.
The building entrance is signalled by patterned brickwork and an expansive roofed pergola. The pergola, contextually derived from the vine-covered pergolas that line Warracknabeal's main street, provides shelter for students awaiting pickup whilst doubling as a covered outdoor learning space.
The building form helps to define separate, age-appropriate outdoor play spaces and sensory courtyards for each wing. The junior outdoor spaces are enclosed to allow students to safely play under staff supervision, whilst the senior play area is unfenced to correspond to the increased independence of senior students, allowing them to mingle and interact with students across the wider campus.
“From the initial consultation through to project completion, Kneeler Design Architects demonstrated a genuine understanding of the importance of inclusive, accessible design in a Special Developmental School setting. The innovative solutions they provided not only enhanced the usability of our spaces but also created a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for both students and staff. ”
KDA Team
Claire Carson, Sarah Morrison, Allison Jessup, Dominic On, Karolien Vanhee
Acknowledgements
Photographer
Shayne Hill