Meadowbank School / Woods Bagot

Architects: Woods Bagot
Year: 2022
Photography: Courtesy of Woods Bagot
Client: School Infrastructure NSW
City: Sydney, NSW
Country: Australia

Meadowbank Schools’ learning environment, designed by Woods Bagot in Sydney, Australia, aims to create a future-focused, innovative educational precinct. This project emphasizes connection to nature and biophilia, integrating the natural landscape with built environments to support and nurture students through different learning stages. The project, responsive to educational, economic, and environmental needs, embodies lifelong learning and community engagement. It has received multiple awards, including the 2022 World Architecture Festival – Schools Winner and the 2023 Australian Good Design Awards – Architectural Design Winner.

The Meadowbank Schools project is a unique opportunity to create a future-focused, innovative learning environment for school students. This education precinct is designed to meet educational, economic, and environmental conditions and requirements. It aims to embody lifelong learning through community outreach and engagement with neighboring educational facilities, including TAFE NSW. The learning environment is designed to be flexible and adaptable, empowering the next generation of students to excel in their education.

A school is an investment in the future of a community. We began by spending time both in schools with teachers and students, and with the government to understand their investment plans and the country’s demographics. This made us realize how the regulations and standards inhibited education, and the buildings that were being built were unable to adapt to either changing pedagogy, construction cost, or climate. We put forward an alternate teaching module based on the school community’s needs that was scalable from a single classroom to a new school and could be built using off-site construction employing the materials from the immediate local areas. This was evolved in partnership with Government, Unions, and the construction industry to create new standards and guidelines- a model for future schools. At the heart of this project- and every project- is the sense of joy.
Interview with Ian Lomas of Woods Bagot

A central aspect of the Meadowbank Schools project is its connection to nature and biophilia. This new education precinct supports, nurtures, and encourages students as they progress through different learning stages. The design is underpinned by research and an evidence-based approach.

The design explores different ways of connecting indoor and outdoor spaces and the built environment with the natural site. The site-specific context of mature landscapes and tree canopies defines the area and is integrated into the design, responding to the human need to connect with nature. The architecture works with, complements, and enhances the natural environment, from large standalone trees to vast low-level vegetation.

Meadowbank Schools, located in Sydney, Australia, was commissioned by School Infrastructure NSW. The project has received multiple awards, including the 2022 World Architecture Festival – Schools Winner, the 2022 World Architecture Festival – Best Use of Colour Winner, and the 2023 Australian Good Design Awards – Architectural Design Winner. It has also been shortlisted for several other awards, such as the 2023 INDE: awards – The Learning Space and the 2023 IDEA (Interior Design Excellence Awards) – Sustainability.