Emmaus Catholic Primary School
The teaching staff of Emmaus Catholic Primary School were keen to extend their learning philosophies beyond the classroom and into the outdoor environment.
In preparing the master plan for the grounds, Thomson Hay Landscape Architects incorporated ideas from the students’ own models of their dream playground, consultations with staff and drew inspiration from the school’s philosophy of ‘being a dynamic, welcoming, creative and caring place of learning’. An ongoing relationship with the staff and students through the design documentation and construction phases ensured these concepts became a reality for the school.
The landscape master plan comprised the following key elements:
In preparing the master plan for the grounds, Thomson Hay Landscape Architects incorporated ideas from the students’ own models of their dream playground, consultations with staff and drew inspiration from the school’s philosophy of ‘being a dynamic, welcoming, creative and caring place of learning’. An ongoing relationship with the staff and students through the design documentation and construction phases ensured these concepts became a reality for the school.
The landscape master plan comprised the following key elements:
- outdoor classroom spaces
- active and quiet play spaces
- vegetable gardens and chicken coops
- native regeneration areas, to be planted by the school community
- networks of pathways
- a large paved space, including different paving materials, colours and textures, based on the shape of a Wedge Tail Eagle’s tail that aligns with the main building footprint as a location for assembly, imaginative and active play.