St Sava College

Situated within a rural setting, the new K–12 Orthodox School, St Sava College, enjoys expansive views towards the surrounding hills and bush reserve. Consisting of a staged masterplan, the project will deliver 14 primary and secondary school classrooms, a multipurpose hall and external play areas, complementing the existing school building, which currently caters for Years K–4 and houses a chapel at its core.

The overall design intent was strongly influenced by the site’s scale, climate and topography, with particular respect for the existing building, recognised as the “heart” of the College.

The masterplan responds directly to the hillside setting, with classroom buildings positioned along the main ridgeline and connected by a central pedestrian spine. As students and staff move through the campus, framed views through external breezeways and covered outdoor learning spaces provide continual connections to the surrounding landscape. Interior learning environments are enhanced by generous skylights that introduce soft, indirect natural light into the centre of each classroom, creating bright, comfortable spaces that support learning throughout the day.

Developed in close collaboration with the landscape architect, the masterplan carefully integrates built form and landscape to create a cohesive learning environment. Outdoor spaces extend the educational experience beyond the classroom, with landscaped play areas, gathering spaces and a central yarning circle providing opportunities for learning, reflection and community connection. These external environments reinforce the campus’ relationship with the natural setting while supporting informal learning and social interaction.

For ease of construction and to work with the site’s natural contours, a modular design approach has been adopted. Repeated classroom and breezeway modules provide a flexible arrangement of learning spaces that can adapt to the College’s evolving needs while also supporting efficient off-site prefabrication and on-site assembly. This consistent architectural language enables the campus to be delivered progressively while maintaining a cohesive identity across each stage of the masterplan.