Year completed
2023, 6 Months
Service
Project Management, Quantity Surveying
Value
$830,000 Excl. GST
Builder
InSite Constructions Pty Ltd
Architect
Tanya Mathers Architecture + Design Pty Ltd
Location
Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast
The Challenge
Maroochydore SHS recently refurbished the adjacent classroom block early in 2023. They briefed us on the challenge of providing a new, purposeful, outdoor learning area to serve as both a quiet area for passive activities such as reading, writing, and reflecting during scheduled teaching time, as well as a social area for students to interact and collaborate during lunch or mealtimes.
The site was highly confined, as a quadrangle bordered on all sides by two-storey teaching blocks. We had only a singular access point to the site, limited to a 5m wide opening, through which we required cranage, concrete pumping, deliveries, and personnel access.
With the site and access points located at the front of the school, careful consideration was crucial for ensuring the works did not hinder the school’s daily staff access and student drop-off and pick-up, with many students passing by the site entrance twice a day. Identifying and responding to concerns raised by the school and regional infrastructure advisor was essential.
The Solution
The design team worked closely with the school and department to attain a valuable outcome for this dual-purpose outdoor learning area by incorporating seating, soft finishes, and shade to encourage both passive and social student environments.
The builder exhausted hours beyond their allowable to ensure strategic planning was at the forefront of this project’s delivery. The contractor carefully planned every trade, delivery and installation precisely. Although the programme timeframes were mutually extended to ensure the functionality of school activities during delivery, the result was a resounding success.
