Carmel School - Innovative Learning Centre and Gymnasium
EDUCATION
CLIENT: G Korsunski Carmel School & Seeligson Kindergarten Inc
LOCATION:
Cresswell Road, Dianella, WA
CONSTRUCTION VALUE: $$7.4M
AREA: 2,650m²
COMPLETED: 2009 & 2011
CARABINER TEAM:
Project Director: David Karotkin
Delivered over two stages of works, the new Innovative Learning Centre and Gymnasium at Carmel School present a celebration of culture, community, and connection, providing purpose built facilities that support specialist programs and contemporary learning.
Carabiner was initially appointed via a design competition to provide new and improved learning facilities to the Carmel School’s High School Campus. We worked closely with the school to develop our initial designs, exploring the school’s culture, values, faith, pedagogical vision, programs and campus character in order to best understand their aspirations. We sought to understand the broad context of the project and to translate their aspirations and requirements and respectfully build upon their established essence of place through the design process.
The ‘Kadima’ development
Stage 1 works focused on the development of a new Innovative Learning Centre which was named ‘Kadima’, meaning ‘Hope’.
The project was conceived as an interconnected building that provides multiple options for separated and combined educational spaces. The new buildings comprise a mix of general learning and specialist spaces, including administration, multi-purpose learning/seminar rooms, four general learning areas, food technology, art studio with kiln room, drama studio, media lab, and music centre including dedicated studio, practice rooms and music lab.
The teaching and learning spaces have been designed to be adaptable to inevitable future changes in programs and learning models. General learning areas are larger than traditional classrooms, can be merged with adjacent rooms via operable walls and open onto common, semi public spaces which act as breakout areas, gallery spaces etc. Inherently flexible, the design provides dedicated spaces for drama performances and musical recitals but can alternately be opened up completely for functions and the range of arts activities practised in a high school environment, such as dance, visual arts, drama, music, poetry readings etc.
The new buildings project a contemporary image balanced with respect for their place within the fabric of the existing school campus.
Carabiner sensitively embraced the school’s Jewish principals in the design and delivery process, working the program around Jewish holidays, and designing to facilitate specific physical requirements such as providing a courtyard open to the sky for certain religious ceremonies. The design also includes a paving band outlining the footprint of the demolished buildings and an almost sculptural remnant piece of the old school’s walls as a reminder of times past.
Following the completion of Kadima, Carabiner was appointed to develop a new gymnasium facility. Due to space limitations on the High School campus, the project was developed in partnership with Maccabi WA, on a site flanking the school campus. Funded by the Federal Building the Education Revolution (BER) initiative, the project was developed as a shared use facility for the school and Maccabi WA, incorporating a multi-purpose hall and classrooms plus a multipurpose community room and Maccabi WA clubroom. The design addresses the interfaces of both user groups, providing a sense of integration with the Carmel School campus whilst simultaneously presenting as a Maccabi facility, maximising value for both partners.