BCS 140- Auckland Park Primary School

The Auckland Park Preparatory School’s new STEAM Centre is a dynamic hybrid space combining a maker space, computer facilities, performance area, and library resources. This innovative facility integrates these diverse elements to create a vibrant learning environment, enhancing educational experiences across various interactive spaces. The Centre is both a retrofit and a contemporary addition to the existing library and staffroom, featuring a central cubic addition that echoes the school’s traditional brickwork while symbolizing its commitment to modern, innovative teaching.

The redesigned library entrance, now a deep display window, leads into a transformed interior that serves as a creative and flexible maker space. This area is equipped with various tools and technological platforms, fostering an innovative and collaborative learning atmosphere. It aligns with the school’s vision of equipping young girls with diverse twenty-first-century skills and embodies the Centre’s spirit of innovation.

The design of the Centre focuses on catering to the diverse learning needs of students. It offers spaces for making, reading, performing, and quiet contemplation. The Centre features a bold materials palette, including geometric vinyl shapes, warm carpets, glossy painted steelwork, warm plywood bookshelves, and colorful furniture, creating an enriching and vibrant environment for students to explore.

On the library’s ground floor, a connective foyer links the computer lab, a mini auditorium, the maker space, the library, and a re-landscaped courtyard. A staircase from this foyer leads to light-filled levels above, connecting to the triple-volume space. The auditorium is a flexible area for performances, recitals, music exams, and audio-visual displays. A self-service desk allows students to check out and return books independently.

The first floor features a spiral slide, providing a fun shortcut between the second and first floors. Differently scaled workstations accommodate the varied needs of students of different ages, while diverse shelving and joinery create a playful and exploratory environment. The librarian’s station is situated on a mezzanine between the first and second floors.

The top level offers communal spaces reached via steps that double as seats and mezzanine levels. Pods around this main space provide zones for retreat, while beanbags and other furniture facilitate group work. This floor offers views through the tree canopy of the APPS campus and visual connections to different levels.

The STEAM Centre is an exciting learning space for young girls, guiding them through a journey of knowledge discovery. It blurs the boundaries between disciplines and learning methods, accommodating diverse needs in an enticing and adventurous environment.