Bourke Street Public School

Bourke Street Public School

Injecting fun into Sydney schools

The GroupGSA Graphic Design Team was engaged by the Department of Education to further extend the architectural, interiors and landscape work being done on The Bourke Street and Bellevue Hill Public Schools. The intention was to introduce ‘fun elements’ into the learning environment, by utilising a combination of colour and visual learning cues.

The initiative was a great opportunity to visually explore ways to engage with the students and give their new school building a unique difference. One of the initial discoveries in the research phase, was that visual learning was in fact just one of many different styles in which a child can learn and take on information.

It was a very positive experience working with the School Principal, gaining insights from the teachers and working towards giving the children a stimulating and vibrant place to learn and play every day. A huge variety of conceptual ideas were generated, but like all projects was dictated by budget.

The School Principal had some very clear ideas and objectives which made narrowing the direction a little easier, and we were able to take those ideas and bring them to life. One of the ideas we were able to extend upon was a simple line marking on the upper level, which was a requirement of The Educational Facilities Standards & Guidelines (EFSG). The line was turned into a multi-coloured serpent graphic that starts on the ground floor and covers the entire balcony area. It not only reinforces a one metre setback so the student can’t climb over the balustrade, but also helps improve traffic flow on the narrow stairways by dividing the stairs into an ‘up’ and ‘down’ side.

Another fun element which received a lot of positive feedback was the protractor floor graphic. When the library doors are swung open, the students are subconsciously taking in mathematical information, in a really relaxed way. Coupled with the repetitive nature of walking in and out of the building countless times a day, the children hopefully grasp new concepts more quickly and easily with the graphics in place.

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