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A vast $119 million school accommodating 2,700 students has been completed in the regional Victorian town of Shepparton.
Greater Shepparton Secondary College designed by Gray Puksand consolidates four existing schools – Mooroopna Secondary College, McGuire College, Wanganui Park Secondary College and Shepparton High School – into a single 22,000 square metre campus.
“The overarching concept for the Campus sees a little town, within its own bigger town. With students joining together from four schools, it was integral we sought to create a sense of community and a ‘home’ for varied groups to join as one,” said Gray Puksand partner Stephen Turner, who led the design of GSSC.
Greater Shepparton Secondary College by Gray Puksand.
Image:
Courtesy Gray Puksand
The spatial arrangement of the school is centred around a central hub, the Enterprise and Innovation Centre, which houses precincts for technology, performing and fine arts, and sciences. The centre allows students to connect to industry, tertiary institutions and trade organizations beyond their schooling years.
Three neighbourhoods, each with three “houses” are connected to the Enterprise and Innovation Centre. Each neighbourhood contains a library, canteen, tiered assembly area, as well as outdoor learning spaces including a rooftop terrace.
“The roofs – when combined on scale – create a silhouette of a town, composed together to see the oscillating features of the built form, acting as orientation points for the entire town,” Turner said.
“Students have their own front door to their own house. It’s their ‘home at school’, a part of their own smaller ‘neighbourhood’ where they can feel a sense of belonging. This was a central component of the design to soften the student experience of suddenly being a part of such a large school that many aren’t, or weren’t, used to.”
A second central hub at the school contains the physical education centre, which includes two multi-sport courts, fitness and weights room, movement studio, game strategy hub, multi-purpose learning studios and amenities.
The design palette of the school buildings draw inspiration from the surrounding region’s mineral geology, agricultural plains and riverbeds. The colours of the exterior are designed to reflect the ever-changing colours of the surrounding terrain and foliage. The campus also features artwork from Yorta Yorta artist Tom Day and Bangerang artist Rebecca Atkinson.
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