2024 Victorian School Design Awards winners and finalists

2024 winners and finalists

Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Nina Taylor MP, announced the finalists and winners at an awards ceremony on 9 October at the Centre for Higher Education Studies.

Thank you to everyone who entered, and congratulations to our winners.

Best kindergarten or early learning centre

Winner – Zen Architects for their design of Fern Street Children’s Centre

What the kindergarten gained

• New 2-room kindergarten with places for 66 children at a time
• Additional rooms for maternal and child health services, playgroups and day care
• Unique natural setting within a local nature reserve and park

What the architects highlighted

• Distinctive curved timber fencing and rough sawn timber cladding to blend in with surrounding nature reserve
• Soft green and timber interior further mimics the natural surrounding and creates a fun, but calm, ‘treehouse’ setting
• Centre designed around protected trees, with doors and windows aligned for specific close-up views of the trees and park
• Mixture of ceiling heights and internal finishes used to define small intimate spaces within larger rooms
• Environmentally sustainable design and construction and highly energy-efficient building

What impressed the judges

• Thoughtful design with low-level windows for children and the various ceiling heights
• How well the timber materials fit with surrounding nature, and how that indoor/outdoor feeling continues with the large deck
• ‘A carefully crafted, beautiful project. It makes a statement but doesn’t shout at you – which is important for an early learning centre.’

Finalist – FPPV Architecture for the expansion of Mt Piper Broadford Family and Children’s Centre

What the kindergarten gained

• Extra kindergarten room
• 33 extra kinder places, with space now for 95 children at a time
• Space to expand maternal and child health services
• Improved layout and larger car park

What the architects highlighted

• Extension achieved without encroaching on outdoor play space
• Designed with feature and high-level windows to connect with natural setting
• New room is a flexible elongated space that can be divided to suit various activities
• Corridor repurposed as large foyer with separate entrances for kinder and health services

What impressed the judges

• Well designed for the kindergarten and health services to work together
• Nice relationship between the kinder rooms and the outdoor spaces
• ‘A great design from a community-user perspective. A lot of thought here about how the spaces link as a hub for family services.’

Best School Project - below $5 million

Winner – Tectura Architects for the revitalisation of a heritage building with contemporary learning spaces at Oakleigh Primary School

What the school gained

• Heritage building in poor condition transformed into a 21st century learning environment
• More flexible classrooms, including 2 joined with an operable wall, and breakout space
• Modern technology, efficient storage, and new wet areas for STEAM teaching
• More outdoor play areas, with underused space redesigned as sports courts

What the architects highlighted

• Contemporary design that preserves elegant Queen Anne period features
• Specialist work to retain treasured historical elements such as ‘Australiana’ stained glass, double-hung windows and original timber ceiling and roof trusses
• Repurposing old fireplaces as AV centre/reading nooks
• New landscaping, including timber pergola with seating, creates welcoming spaces for parents and wider community

What impressed the judges

• Modernisation added with a ‘light touch’ to complement heritage features
• Choice of lighting, use of natural light and maintaining the original big interiors works beautifully
• ‘Restorations can respect or destroy heritage buildings – this one respects.’

Finalist – B2 Architecture for the extension of the performing arts building at Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College

What the school gained

• Open glazed area to unify a drama hall and auditorium
• New formal entrance for both performance areas
• Flexible space to also use for classes, assemblies, a sheltered lunch social place, community activities and a Year 12 study centre

What the architects highlighted

• Use of large, glazed walls to allow natural light and create a visual connection to the outside forecourt
• Large, bright yellow roof overhang is functional and creates a dramatic formal entrance
• Choice of colours and materials relate to the school’s branding and older buildings
• Balance of contemporary design in a historical setting

What impressed the judges

• Welcoming entrance and new space for school day and evening events
• Existing ‘functional’ spaces taken to a new level for amenity and impact
• ‘Great outcome for the budget. It’s created a space that people are excited about being in.’

Finalist – Searle x Waldron Architecture for the refurbishment of student toilets at Macarthur Street Primary School

What the school gained

• Functional modernisation of toilets and new accessible bathroom
• Playful colourful design that revitalises outdoor play/assembly area and street frontage
• Larger, more useful storerooms
• Additional undercover outdoor learning area with integrated seating

What the architects highlighted

• Much-loved mural on old toilet external wall retained and incorporated into design
• Sustainable and efficient design through reuse of materials and existing doorways
• Mural’s vibrant colours extended into bathroom interiors
• Mural colours also extended on enhanced veranda to create an informal outdoor stage

What impressed the judges

• Finished result that is colourful and special for the school
• Gains go beyond better toilets – with the extra storage and unique backdrop for assemblies
• ‘The architects have taken what was there (the mural) and built on that in a clever way.’

Best School Project - between $5 million and $15 million

Winner – Law Architects for the new multi-storey education building at St Kilda Primary School

What the school gained

• Two-storey learning hub featuring 16 classrooms
• Old classroom block replaced with further new classrooms

What the architects highlighted

• Maximised natural light, acoustics, and flexible learning spaces cater to diverse student needs
• Playful facade with green plant wall and interactive features encourages seamless movement between indoors and outdoors
• Heritage preserved through brick facade, ensuring aesthetic continuity and low maintenance
• Sustainable design includes low-energy lighting, solar panels, and rainwater collection

What impressed the judges

• Outdoor stairway with the green wall and slide is practical, playful and clever for small kids – something that would work in a lot of other schools
• Beautiful in an industrial way that works well with the heritage building
• ‘It doesn't feel like an inner-city school.’

Finalist – Architecture architecture for the new middle years learning building with specialist spaces at Yarra Ranges Special Developmental School

What the school gained

• New classrooms, library and specialist rooms for art and food technology
• Central ‘campus heart’ safe open play space
• TV production studio and digital media suite
• Fitness centre
• Performance, multipurpose, consultation and staff rooms

What the architects highlighted

• Design honours school’s motto ‘Fences are freedom’, giving students spaces they can safely explore with independence without close supervision
• Long, noisy corridors replaced with small, quiet lobbies with respite lounges and garden views to minimise sensory overload
• Topography considered and levels controlled to avoid the need for steep ramps requiring handrails
• Glazed foyers between each building module provide cover and maintain views to the landscape

What impressed the judges

• Elegant and well-balanced plan
• Thoughtful design with lots of sensory settings outside and interior break-out spaces
• ‘With the building placement, use of wood and pale green colour, it looks like it belongs to the land.’

Finalist – Kerstin Thomspon Architects for the new 3-storey learning and administration building at Preston South Primary School

What the school gained

• Space for an extra 200 local students
• Indoor and outdoor areas for general learning
• Specialist learning spaces for science and technology
• Staff and administration areas
• Prep play area and landscaping

What the architects highlighted

• New 3-level building replaces 6 outdated structures, enhancing outdoor play areas, wayfinding and public street visibility
• Integration of active, passive and outdoor learning areas supports group and individual learning
• Distinctive red brick ‘fin’ design honours the historical context of the campus and surrounding terrace houses
• Sustainable ‘Passive House’ design, with energy and heat recovery systems, careful material selection, clever screening and effective insulation reducing energy use and improving indoor environments

What impressed the judges

• Design has spaces working well together and clever features like the window views on to the street tree canopy
• Makes the most of the east-west orientation for natural lighting and sustainability
• ‘The architects used Passive House principles, something we don’t see a lot of in Australia, and they’ve done it really well.’

Best School Project – above $15 million

Winner – Sean Godsell Architects for the new community sports complex at Montmorency Secondary College

What the school gained

• Massive competition-grade sports stadium run in community partnership with Eltham Wildcats Basketball Club
• 3 extra multi-use basketball courts (increase from 2 to 5)
• Retractable seating and AV capabilities that allow the college to host 1,200 people for assemblies, graduations, and award ceremonies
• Change rooms, kiosk, meeting rooms and undercroft car park

What the architects highlighted

• New stadium positioned next to existing sports building creates a first-class sports complex, conveniently close to playing and athletics fields
• Challenging site due to flood zone, easements, and irregular shape
• Stadium’s striking entrance enhances the school’s presence

What impressed the judges

• On a tricky site, the design successfully meets the diverse needs of school and sports club
• Attention to how the detail of the building works together sets a new benchmark for school gyms
• ‘Gyms are usually sheds – this is one beautiful shed.’

Finalist – Kosloff Architecture for the new 5-storey learning hub at Mount Alexander 7-12 College

What the school gained

• Spaces for fine art, multimedia and performing arts
• Specialist areas for digital and systems technology and junior science, and general classrooms
• Senior common room, lounge, and administration office

What the architects highlighted

• Vertical design maximises open space and protects trees in the dense inner-city location
• Each level features teaching and learning spaces around the perimeter, with a central hub, common areas, and gallery spaces
• Improved access includes ramps, ample bike parking and a new campus heart with external amphitheatre
• Cost-effective precast concrete panels reduce internal columns and provide optimal shade
• Red masonry and salvaged bricks blend with the residential street, complemented by red wayfinding
• Roof level designed as an outdoor basketball half-court

What impressed the judges

• Cost-effective and economical design has achieved a lot for this budget
• ‘This is a clever vertical design where space and thoroughfares work so much better than many other equivalent buildings.’

Best project – First Nations design

Winner – Select Architects for the modernisation of Grovedale West Primary School

What the school gained

• New building with adaptable open plan learning spaces
• 7 general learning spaces and 4 specialist rooms for science, food tech and art
• A new outdoor learning space
• Better staff areas and toilets
• Landscaping and modification of playing field

What the architects highlighted

• Indoor design reflects contemporary principles with flexibility, openness and a friendly atmosphere for a student-centred environment
• A user-friendly layout includes centrally located bathrooms and sinks to accommodate the food tech and art rooms
• First Nations artwork throughout the garden areas and carved into the natural landscape for an immersive experience
• Indoor colours reflect local cultural heritage
• Repositioning school’s entrance enhances visibility and safety

What impressed the judges

• Incredible integration of art, colours and landscape to tell a story
• Rare permission gained for public use of significant cultural artefacts, like the animal footprints on the decking
• ‘The design demonstrates a deep level of engagement, trust and cooperation between the school, architects and local Traditional Owners.’

Finalist – Brand Architects for the new STEAM centre at Thornbury High School

What the school gained

• 2-storey STEAM building with modern specialist spaces for science, technology and visual arts
• Greater timetabling flexibility, with layout or theory and practical spaces allowing more classes to run simultaneously
• Better public access and more contemporary street identity
• New open spaces and central plaza
• Transformation of the campus with a focus on Wurundjeri art and cultural heritage

What the architects highlighted

• Demolishing old science building opened up campus visually and improved safety
• Sustainable design using renewable materials and water-efficient landscaping
• Large windows and shading fins allow maximum natural light and air flow, while reducing energy costs
• Design blends contemporary innovation with respect for local First Nations history and continuing culture

What impressed the judges

• Visually stylish building with a practical layout for modern STEAM education
• Design incorporates culturally significant natural features and artwork, after meaningful engagement with local First Nations community
• ‘This is a very engaging building for secondary kids, whether you are talking STEAM or cultural learning.’

Minister’s Award

This special award isn’t presented every year. It’s reserved to recognise an outstanding design or a unique entry that doesn’t neatly fit into any of the standard award categories.

Winner – DesignInc and Brand Architects for Nganboo Borron School

What the school gained

• New school with 2 learning neighbourhoods and places for nearly 150 students with an intellectual disability
• Acknowledgment of Country boulder at shared entry with neighbouring Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College
• Flora and fauna references etched into pavement for wayfinding
• Grounds with yarning circles, hard court, outdoor ‘learning nests’ and native planting
• Community hub, administration/library building and multi-functional spaces such as a gallery foyer for small gatherings and a sports hall for larger events

What the architects highlighted

• Buildings establish secure outdoor play and learning zones, reducing the need for excessive fencing and allowing passive surveillance
• Learning nests inspired by natural fauna and flora, with designs resembling eggs and featuring patterns of frogs, dragonflies, turtles, and emus
• Spaces named in Wadawurrung language, such as ‘Perridak’ (platypus) for the outdoor hardcourt
• Muted colour scheme, soundproofing, sensory wall coverings, and squeeze poles create a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment for students
• Consultation with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and commission of a First Nations artist for ‘native critter’ seating

What impressed the judges

• Engagement with Traditional Owners and the broader local Aboriginal communities that call the area home
• Strong landscaping which creates an ‘outside heart’ for the school supported by the architecture
• ‘A living example of First Nations culture as an evolving story with contemporary and traditional elements balanced in the design.’

Winner – Sibling Architecture for the new learning hub at Wangaratta District Specialist School

What the school gained

• 6 modern classrooms designed for specialist needs
• Allied health support and sensory spaces
• Collaborative staff work spaces and accessible toilets
• Outdoor learning area

What the architects highlighted

• New building removes limitations of previous relocatable buildings and restrictive concrete ramps, improving site movement
• Budget-focused design uses durable materials and colours, ensuring longevity and allowing for additional accessibility features like hoists
• Design features a collection of smaller structures that combine to create a welcoming, village-like atmosphere
• Sensory spaces, including nooks, breakout areas and an outdoor sensory garden, provide areas for quiet reflection and respite

What impressed the judges

• Design demonstrates a deep understanding of student sensory needs
• Ideas and features we haven’t seen before in school design, such as bespoke lighting for a sensory room created from PVC piping and LEDs
• ‘An outstanding project that can teach us a lot about inclusive design for all schools.’