Clifton Hill Primary School | Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

This dynamic vertical campus for grade 5 and 6 students creates exemplary learning, teaching, staff working and multipurpose community environments for a much–loved inner–city school. Spanning three levels, the building adopts a simple but rigorous floorplan that accommodates a large program on a constrained site. Located opposite the Darling Gardens, the design response references the existing heritage campus buildings while also drawing inspiration from Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. A ribbon band of glazed green bricks and use of circular “bite like” apertures bring a whimsical quality to the design. Exposed structural elements including mass timber and articulated services enable the building to serve as an explanatory teaching tool for students. Designed utilising a mass timber hybrid construction to achieve Passivhaus Certification, a first for the VSBA, the building integrates a PV array on the playground roof terrace to provide power and a visual learning opportunity.