Bunurong, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Wadawurrung people of the Kulin Nation
Victoria
St Kilda Primary School’s revitalisation masterfully integrates heritage with contemporary learning environments, ensuring the school’s longevity as a thriving educational hub. The Nozomi building—meaning ‘hope’ in Japanese—embodies aspirations for the future while honouring the past. Designed by Law Architects, this project carefully restores and adapts the heritage-listed Hato building, weaving it into a seamless architectural dialogue between history and modern functionality.
Respectful setbacks, materiality, and scale ensure a harmonious relationship between old and new, reinforcing the site’s civic prominence. The project fosters regeneration through biophilic design, with native planting and green walls re-establishing local biodiversity. This transformation breathes new life into the school, enriching both its built environment and its diverse community. By balancing preservation with innovation, SKPS redefines heritage adaptation—celebrating history while ensuring an inclusive, future-ready educational space for generations to come.
Sue Higgins, Principal at SKPS, attests “the new Nozomi building effectively [supports] our teaching methods, and [caters] to the diverse needs of every child…soaring ceiling heights…create a sense of openness and grandeur, [and] promote a feeling of freedom and creativity in the learning spaces. The varied and interesting spaces throughout the building and into the landscape add another layer of versatility, offering both collaborative areas and quiet zones; flexible, dynamic learning environments that inspire open and creative minds.”
The VSBA, as client, awarded the SKPS project: ‘Best School Project – between $5 & $15 million’ in the 2024 Victorian School Design Awards.
Sandy Law, Design Architect
Katherine Peasley, Project Architect
Rachel Carew, Project Architect
Jenni Webster, Project Architect
ZM Environs, Landscape Consultant
Michael Taylor Architecture and Heritage, Heritage Consultant
Fytogreen, Landscape Consultant
Creo Consultants, Structural Engineer
BRT Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd, Services Consultant
Philip Chun, Building Surveyor
Barefoot Projects, Landscape contractor
Certified Energy, ESD Consultant