The six-storey school brings a new model of flexible, urban learning environments to Wentworth Point, designed to grow alongside its rapidly developing neighborhood.

Woods Bagot Principal Chris Savva says, “this part of the city has an industrial history, with a flurry of residential high-rise buildings popping up around the site. The school serves as an important social asset that injects life and character into something that could have been quite repetitive amongst the residential towers.”

The school’s design draws inspiration from its unique location on reclaimed land along the Parramatta River. The architecture thoughtfully reflects the natural elements of earth, horizon, and sky, creating a visual connection to the surrounding landscape. This connection is evident in everything from the earthy base materials to the building’s distinctive façade.

“Looking out towards the river and seeing earth, horizon, and sky come together quite strongly in one place – that’s what struck us most,” says Woods Bagot Principal Ian Lomas. “The outer material, which is anodised metal, acts as a reflective material to the ever-changing sky. When the sky is sunny and blue, the building reacts to that. When the sky is grey, the façade reflects what’s happening above.”

Designed to accommodate 1,500 students, the school features state-of-the-art facilities including performing arts spaces, a dedicated movement studio, specialist areas for wood and metalwork, science laboratories, industrial kitchens, and visual arts spaces complete with a darkroom. The design tackles the unique challenges of vertical school architecture with innovative solutions.

“The most prominent feature when you see the school from the inside is the stairs, and there’s three of them,” Savva notes. “They have been really accentuated with this orange theme and super graphics which are inspired by the nearby Parramatta river. We’ve expanded the stairs to include play space adjacent to it so that the kids are moving up through the spaces in an engaged way.”

While architecturally striking, the focus has remained consistently on the students and teachers who will occupy this space for generations to come. “We had a school to design, and keeping the end user at the front of design meant every decision was about the students – their security, their nourishment, their enrichment, their safety,” says Savva.

“This building is going to be home to a whole new culture, a whole new community. Kids will grow up in it and have core memories and dreams and learn stuff. Parents will go there. It will start to make the place feel like a second home.”

Starting Term 1 this year, with 180 Year 7 students, the school will grow organically year by year until it reaches its full capacity. To minimise movement across the campus, the school day will be comprised of four 75-minute learning periods, with five-minute breaks between classes to give students time to move to each class.

Phase 2 of the development will soon add a multipurpose hall for sports and performances, outdoor courts, and enhanced landscaping with additional trees and shade structures.

Learn more about Wentworth Point High School on the Schools Infrastructure NSW website.

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Adrien Moffatt
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