Enhancing the educational environment
With an ever-growing student population and to meet future learning demands by 2031, Mosman High School, located in the harbourside suburb of Sydney's Lower North Shore, underwent a major upgrade that included a new 4-storey, multipurpose building, landscaped courtyards and rooftop to enhance the local educational environment. The overall design celebrates vibrant colours, creativity and heritage while respecting the original school building that was built in 1883.
Creative colour play
The new building design by Woods Bagot embodies the school's performing arts values, the rich Indigenous significance of the site and a vision for future learning, while ensuring a strong connection between the indoors and outdoors.
Colour, inspired by the vibrant local landscape, is brought into play on the exterior facade and in the interior spaces to differentiate learning zones. Bright colours are used for the performance areas and calm blues and greens for more traditional subjects, such as science.
Outdoor learning spaces
The design incorporates state-of-the-art learning facilities and new spaces for performing arts, including a new theatre, along with science teaching spaces, a library, rooftop games court and outdoor learning spaces to meet the brief from School Infrastructure NSW.
Designed by Black Beetle Landscape Architects, newly landscaped courtyards on the ground level, terraces on the two highest levels and rooftop areas with sweeping views of the city and North Head bring the indoors outside with the creation of multifunctional pockets of spaces to foster growth and collaboration among students and teachers.
Contemporary + cohesive
As part of an integrated design approach for the landscaped courtyards, terraces and rooftop, Black Beetle specified the Avenue collection, designed and manufactured by Botton + Gardiner, that offers a variety of outdoor furniture pieces with a consistent design aesthetic, which can be configured in multiple ways to suit a variety of outdoor spaces.
Rectangular battens and a tapered steel frame combine to deliver a simple aesthetic that is light in appearance. Seats and benches are paired with tables while curved seating create ring formations, wrapping around planters and shading devices to create a range of inviting communal learning, dining and breakout areas.
Finishes, including Duraslat™ in Silver Gum and powder-coated, galvanised framing in Silver Palladium, were chosen for their aesthetics, durability, low-maintenance, and eco-credentials. The subtle tones selected also allow Avenue to blend in with the surroundings, allowing the pops of colour featured in the building design to take centre stage.
