The new Hampton East School is the result of the merger of two existing special schools, Berendale and Katandra Schools, in the suburb of Hampton East. The merger and new facilties equip the newly formed school to provide a full-fledged student curriculum from Years P-12. The project involves the demolition and partial refurbishment of the existing building fabric on the former Berendale School site, and the construction of a new single storey Junior Learning Hub, double storey Middle Years/STEAM Centre, outdoor play spaces, and landscaping elements.
The Middle Years/STEAM building is a rarity in Victoria—a double storey contemporary facility that addresses the unique requirements of special school education. The newly designed buildings make use of external curved walls to soften transitions between outdoor spaces and maximise sightlines through the site. The curved design language reappears on interior walls, as a motif on floor finishes and ceiling bulkheads, and even in the design of the joinery elements, with benchtop corners generously radiused to minimise sharp points and prevent injury.
The external envelopes of tan brickwork and slate metal cladding reference the existing surrounding brick buildings but present a contemporary, forward-looking appearance. Main ground floor entrances are signified by ‘punched’ openings into the brick façade, providing shelter and wayfinding cues.
Care was taken to provide internal finishes in warm, solid colours with minimal patterned surfaces, minimising visual noise for hypersensitive students. Colours and textures are employed to differentiate learning zones and to give each building a distinctive identity while forming a cohesive whole.
Through this new shared campus with state-of-the-art facilities, the merged schools are now able to pool resources to offer both the student body and local community a breadth of educational programs and services not previously possible, while also fostering a stronger presence and sense of connectedness to the broader Hampton East community.
