Sharing an update on one of our projects currently under construction in Brisbane – the Clayfield Prep-Prep revitalisation. This is a very special project… Clayfield Pre-Prep has been a much loved institution in the inner northern Brisbane community for decades and it really is an honour to be overseeing its architectural redesign and revitalisation.
To give you some insight into what’s planned, I wanted to share our inspiration for the design - inspired by the magic of childhood and early-years literature.
As background, the brief for this project was to add additional rooms to improve the centre’s functionality and create new inspiring spaces to ignite the imaginations of the little kindergarteners who attend. Given Clayfield Pre-Prep is also located on beautiful Bayview Terrace, we also needed to ensure the design reflects the traditional character of the surrounding area. Ultimately, we don’t want the building to look too much like a ‘school’, as it needs to maintain a residential feel and scale.
To create a welcoming new entry and foyer that reflects the nurturing learning environment of the Centre, we sought inspiration from three classic children’s books: 1) The Very Hungry Caterpillar; 2) The Secret Garden; and, 3) Where the Wild Things are.
New pillars that line the entry will feature playful circular cut outs, inspired by “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”. These pillars uphold a covered patio which features a lush rooftop garden (“A Secret Garden”), which – in addition to providing eye-catching green space – also delivers practical function such as absorbing rainwater and regulating building temperatures (thus minimising electricity costs associated with running air-conditioning or heating). The tree lined canopy over the entrance will also provide children with a sense of walking into an exciting new world filled with nature (“Where the Wild Things Are”). We view this entry as a “transition zone” – an area that sets the playful, welcoming tone of Clayfield Pre-Prep and provides a connection to mother nature, hidden play spaces and literature.
Off the back of the existing building, we’ve designed a two-story extension that contains: offices; a multi-purpose meeting room for parents, the community and staff; a laundry; additional bathroom; and extra storage space). And while it’s two-stories out the back, we’ve used a stepped façade at the front of the building, to reduce the scale and enormity of the building from the street. This helps keep us within the character code, and also ensures the building isn’t overwhelming for the little ones when they arrive for their day.
Construction is well underway – stay tuned for more pics.