Fairhills Primary School CEFPI Award for outstanding school facilities, Winner modernisation over $2million.
Providing access for disability is an ongoing challenge for many schools. At Fairhills Primary School, the community wish was to provide learning facilities for all students to be accommodated. Working in conjunction with the local special needs school, the facilities provide for ADHD and Asbergers students, as well as being fully accessible by wheelchair. At the centre of the school is the “Core”. This new linking spine allows for disability access throughout the school, and also provides a link between the four new learning neighbourhoods. It accommodates common flexible use spaces, houses resource material and provides meeting space, presentation areas and quiet study alcoves.
With innovative and lateral thinking, the design team have provided a contemporary and vibrant learning environment for Fairhills Primary School, whilst recycling and refreshing the learning spaces of past decades to embrace current pedagogy. This approach has resulted in a fully realised budget, and a built form which will provide the school with useful, flexible teaching and learning spaces for many years to come.