The St Luke’s Early Learning Centre caters for up to 59 three-to-five year olds in two connected learning galleries that form an elbow in plan. The shape of the plan allows the galleries to create a sheltered northeast facing courtyard with direct access to the central garden that provides an array of outdoor activities via a deep verandah. The architectural language is consistent with the remainder of the St Luke’s campus, polychromatic brickwork striated to evoke the language of the sandstone escarpments of the distant Blue Mountains. An accessible upper deck is perforated by bright green skylights that burst through the slab to naturally light the spaces below. Internally a restrained natural palette of materials allows the work and life of the students to provide the colour to the spaces.

Client:                   Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese

Location:               Marsden Park

Cost:                    $5.4M

Size:                       1,900sqm

Alleanza Team:       Ian Craig, Nancy Xie, Dave Bryant

Status:                   Completed 2017

Contractor: FAL Construction

Collaborators: Birzulis, Abel & Brown, Kuttner Collins, Henry & Hymas, Groundink, Benchmark Building Certifiers, Robinson Urban Planning, Partners Energy

Photography: Jarrod Bryant