Inspired by the teachings of Saint John Bosco and his vision for learning and teaching, the new Year 7 & 8 Precinct will encapsulate the very essence of “A Home That Welcomes.” As you walk, cycle, or drive into the Mannix Campus, you’ll be drawn to the abundant open, green space that welcomes our community. A new, contemporary Year 7 building will seamlessly integrate with the existing Year 8 building on the west side of the campus, emerging from the existing embankment to minimise the loss of open space. The tree scape of the campus will remain a prominent feature.
As you approach the two buildings from the north entry roundabout, you’ll notice references to Dominic Savio, our Catholic identity, and our connection to Country through the well-positioned statue, holy cross, and indigenous garden converging at the entry to the Year 7 building. The holy cross on the new building’s north wall will provide a connection between the main Bosco Campus and the Mannix Campus with the same design, size, and appearance. Walking up the connecting stairs between the two buildings, a series of liturgical quotes on the step risers will provide strong reminders of the College’s Catholic tradition and Salesian Charism. At the top of the stairs, where the entries to the two buildings converge, and nestled into the Year 7 building exterior, will be a seated reflection space for our students and staff. This space will consistently remind our students and staff of the College’s connection to “A Home for Identity and Connection” with a water feature (hand pump) and quoted references to Don Bosco’s first Oratory and John’s Gospel.
A light-filled entry point to the new Year 7 building will welcome all to this safe and inviting place of learning. The new building will be the home to our incoming Year 7 students, who will commence their secondary school education in a contemporary and well-planned layout. Once you pass through the gallery space, you will notice the ground floor is blessed with ample north sunlight, with appropriate light filtering to balance glare and minimise artificial lighting. The ground floor comprises eight spacious studio/classrooms with modern audio-visual (AV) learning and teaching technology, ample storage, and dedicated whiteboard and pinboard space. Individual, smaller tutorial rooms, each with AV, will allow for supervised breakout spaces for our students, embedded into the studio footprint to facilitate seamless learning and teaching spaces. The studio footprints can cater for up to eight streams of new students, future-proofing the growth of the College.
A feature of the ground floor will be the Gathering Space in the centre of the building. Stained-glass storytelling will feature on the north wall and superimpose these symbols in the Gathering Space throughout the day and season, providing strong links to the Salesian Charism and Catholic identity. The Gathering Space will bring together students, staff, and parents for assemblies, informal gatherings, prayer services, and information evenings. Dedicated Learning Diversity and Wellbeing spaces have been carefully planned in terms of dimensions, aesthetics, location, and learning and teaching design to foster student development. At the west end of the building, vistas to the planting and existing tree scape along the west boundary of the campus will make this seating area a desirable spot for students and staff seeking a quiet, contemplative space. The four south studios will have rear doors that open into a small, landscaped open space to accommodate outdoor learning and active play during scheduled breaks. This area will be shared by all students and allow for easy supervision by staff.
The lower ground floor will serve as the College’s centralised “Front of House,” featuring the campus’s main reception, First Aid Room, Head of Campus office, and dedicated meeting space. Visitors will be greeted by a modern, contemporary layout that conveys a welcoming feel with a soft colour palette and finishes. Access to the ground floor will be via an internal staircase or lift to assist those with mobility impairments.
Stage 1 of the Mannix project also includes extensive refurbishment of the existing building to accommodate Year 8 students, along with the provision of specialist learning spaces for Science, Design & Technology (Maker Space), and Art. An extension to the building will increase the building footprint and allow for two extra studios at the ground level and a dedicated Art room at the lower ground level. Each of the specialist learning spaces on the lower ground floor has been meticulously planned and will be fitted out to meet current and future curriculum requirements. Extensive consultation between the Learning Leaders, department staff, and the architect during the design development stage of the project has helped plan, layout, and equip the specialist learning spaces. A covered walkway on the north side of the campus will provide undercover access between the lower ground spaces of the two buildings. A canteen and dining/seating area will be built on the lower ground level outside the specialist learning spaces to accommodate a variety of healthy eating and snack options for our students and staff.
Construction of this exciting project is scheduled to commence in late 2024.
Read more about our Year 7 & 8 Precinct HERE