MARCH - APRIL 2020, UPDATE 2

As the construction industry continues to operate through COVID-19 restrictions, our Capital Works program continues full steam ahead. In our overall timeline, we are currently at the Detailed Design phase, which is due for completion by the end of next week. Detailed Design gets to a much more specific level of detail, including discussions around colours, materials, outdoor landscaping as well as the long-awaited cost planner.

We have had two meetings with Content Studio’s landscape architect (Simon) and have discussed the importance of our mature trees, indigenous planting, a natural landscape that mirrors our existing yard (large river stones instead of concrete blocks) and the desire for natural shade options. The placement of priority on these areas has caused small adjustments to the STELLA building plan, such as a repositioning of the stairs, but the group is pleased about this, as it saves the mature She oak that is situated on the south-west corner of the metal playground and also removes a potential bottle-neck that had been identified.

We are pleased to have a number of documents to share with the school community, which can be found on our school website. The new documents include:

• Some design images of our school building, including updates to the main building that are predominantly focussed on the toilets, floors and windows, but also includes a fresh new literacy resource area and more detailed designs of the access ramp that will be built in our undercover area. The intention is for this new ramp to complement and fit in with the beautiful (but old) main building.
• Some design images of our new STELLA building, which has updates to provide more security for our mature trees and more open spaces for our students to access and use as well as more details for the outdoor spaces.
• A planting palette, with suggestions of indigenous plants that will thrive in the locations where they will be planted (water, exposure, light, etc.). From this palette, you will see that Simon has done a marvellous job responding to feedback about our school’s vision and priorities. Where do the grapes go, you ask? The mesh sides to the bridge that runs from the MPR to STELLA needs to be 1.8m for safety reasons. We have been concerned about the visual impact of this on such a beautiful space. Simon is planning to plant grapes that will grow on this mesh, hiding the metal, providing more shade for our students and potentially offering a new harvest for our school!

200407 BNWPS_DD Meeting Drawings.pdf 

200407 BNWPS Design Development_Materials.pdf 

200401 Plant palette Brunswick NWPRELIM.pdf