After the design of the Kimberley College Flexible Learning Area and Art and Library Precinct, Guymer Bailey was asked to design the new Junior School, which featured classrooms and a play area for 100 primary school students.

The Junior school, while only being two double classrooms and associated spaces, needed a unique identity. Inspired by a large Eucalypt tree that needed to be removed due to poor health, we created a contemporary and functional interpretation by designing a large, semi-transparent tree-like floating roof that spans between the two buildings, providing shelter to the play area below. Natural ventilation and sunlight were strong drivers in the design and resulted in the careful positioning of louvres to allow efficient cross ventilation and polycarbonate corners with high-level glazing to provide light to teaching spaces.

The scale of the entry has been designed from a child’s perspective featuring a play box that welcomes you with an indigenous message. Fun indoor breakout spaces are introduced into each of the classrooms and also form part of the furniture. The geometric triangles represented in the colourful forest canopy roof structure is subtly reflected on the ground through the use of different thicknesses of astroturf and decorative concrete finishes to convey the landscape underneath a tree canopy.