Chevalier College MPH

Located in the Southern Highlands of NSW, the new multi-purpose hall at Chevalier College is rich in its architectural elegance, neatly stitching the new building into the existing campus, its landscape setting, and the adjoining public realm, with seamless integration of student and general public use. The building is a 2-3 storey volume containing learning spaces for physical development, health & education, and whole or part school gathering. Spaces are multi-purpose and adaptable to performance, presentation learning, and play. The building’s form is generated primarily from its function, that is, the housing of a multi-purpose hall and sports facility. Although simplistic in its need be rectilinear, the building holds hidden secrets within, offering flexible yet purposeful learning spaces behind its public precincts. In alignment with the College’s reverence for nature and the environment, this is a building that responds sympathetically to both location and the existing context of the site. It is a place where occupants are stimulated and surprised by the play of natural light and air, designed to create a feeling of wellbeing through connectivity to nature. The building’s design includes the use of natural lighting and ventilation, passive heating and cooling strategies, solar shading, insulation, water harvesting and recycling, using environmentally sustainable design principles therefore aligning with the values and mission of the College. The resulting building design is robust yet beautiful with spaces that flex and shape depending on use, offering inherent flexibility. Design innovation occurs in the planning of spaces to maximise connectivity and multi -functionality. Oversized glass doors glide into adjacent walls to reveal shared experiences that accommodate numerous gatherings and experiences and connect with the verdant playing fields forming a strong part of the dialogue between the building and its setting. Operable walls allow for flexible subdivision of multiple learning spaces to support various forms of curriculum and social delivery. The piazza paving flows seamlessly into the internal lobby welcoming visitors into the building and inviting them to share the secrets within. With a commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation strongly reflected in the building’s design, an optimal balance of cost, environmental, societal, and human benefits is achieved. The design hits the brief delivering a collaborative, inspiring, sustainable building that enables educational transformation and learning excellence.