Auburn High School Senior Centre

Auburn High School’s Senior Centre was shaped through a thorough, collaborative design journey defined by cultural respect and student involvement.

Guided by a clear brief, the aim was to create a distinctive senior learning environment that would elevate the school’s identity and foster deeper community ties.

In close partnership with WOWOWA Architecture, school leadership and students actively contributed to the design, helping to shape how study zones and landscape areas would function.

These regular conversations with the school community ensured the building responded to real needs while fostering ownership and pride.

Consultation with Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Elders from the outset enabled a meaningful embedding of First Nations knowledge throughout the design and landscape.

A statement from Ross Pritchard, Principal at Auburn high School: "The new school building has been a transformative addition to our school site. WOWOWA’s design provided eleven, state of the art classrooms, an aesthetic promoting our school colours, values, programs, and local indigenous heritage. Students and staff now benefit from access to spacious, well-equipped classrooms that enhance their learning experience. Their feedback has been incredibly positive, and the building has strengthened our school community. WOWOWA worked closely with the school, in challenging economic circumstances, to ensure to maximise the functionality of the building and to make the project a significant investment in our students’ success and the school’s future.”

The Senior Centre at Auburn High School sets a new benchmark for educational design in Victoria, exemplifying excellence in functionality, accessibility, aesthetics, safety, sustainability, and cultural sensitivity.

Located on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country, the centre embraces its steep quarry site with a contextual, multi-level form that maximises natural light, passive ventilation, and landscape connection.

User experience was central to the process. Students helped shape design of study and social areas, shaping spaces that respond to real learning behaviours.

Multilingual signage, an Acknowledgement of Country, and commissioned Indigenous artworks - including contributions from Lisa Waup and Aunty Zeta Thompson - embed cultural identity and respect throughout.

Natural textures, bold colours, and considered lighting promote calm, focus, and a sense of belonging.

The building supports a variety of learning modes, with a state-of-the-art STEM lab, flexible classrooms, wellbeing zones, and careers areas.

All-gender, accessible bathrooms and clear circulation reflect inclusive, user-first design.

The yellow bulkhead, inspired by the Golden Wattle and the school’s logo, anchors the foyer, while recycled quarry stone and historical references enrich the outdoor and material palette.

High-quality materials, strong thermal performance, and sustainable design decisions ensure longevity and environmental sensitivity.

The result is a beautiful, mature space where senior students thrive and younger students aspire to be.

This project redefines what’s possible in public education.

It demonstrates how thoughtful, culturally grounded design can elevate a school’s profile, grow enrolments, and deliver meaningful impact - making a compelling case for investment in professional, place-responsive design both in Australia and beyond.

We believe that genuine innovation is achieved through dialogue with Traditional Owners, working closely with Indigenous Elders to weave First Nations knowledge into the beginning of our design process.

This commitment is visible all throughout the building, from Wominjeka welcoming guests at the entrance, along with bilingual greetings in French and English, and an Acknowledgment of Country.

Native grasses and Golden Wattle trees are integrated into the surrounding garden, with rocks excavated from the site repurposed as landscaping features.

At the foyer, a bold yellow bulkhead references the school’s logo, representing the kernel created by the crux of three arrow lines.

The shape, symbolising convergence, also relates to Australia’s national flower, the Golden Wattle.

This wattle motif is repeated and replicated on the exterior to form delicate steel ‘goggles’ framing the rear top floor, peeping toward the junior school on the cliff beyond.

Alternating cork and acoustic panels at locker bays facilitate the display of curriculum-integrated cultural engagement, as art students celebrate Country.

Corridor lighting appears as freehand squiggles, looped at gathering points.

The STEM lab is marked in energetic sulfur yellow both at its interior entrance and in window frames at the exterior to spark enthusiasm for the specialist program.

Developed in response to student consultation, the inclusion of an open-plan gender-neutral bathroom is considered innovative and radically progressive by some in the broader community.

Muted rainbow vinyl flooring underfoot is our subtle celebration of this positive inclusivity.

Rather than being just another school facility, the Senior Centre at Auburn High stands as a cultural and emotional anchor for its community.

Through inclusive, meaningful design, it supports student identity, enhances wellbeing, and strengthens connections to place.

By embedding First Nations stories and local history into the fabric of the space through artworks, motifs, and visible acknowledgement, it creates a daily learning environment that fosters awareness, pride, and cultural respect.

The building’s spatial logic supports calm and connection, with gentle circulation, open study zones, and flexible classrooms that nurture independence.

The student-driven design process has empowered learners to shape their environment and feel ownership of it.

Access is universal, with minimal stairs, sloped paths, and outdoor spaces designed for gathering and inclusivity.

The gender-neutral bathroom, featuring a muted rainbow floor, is a symbol of the school’s values - a gesture that supports visibility and care without being tokenistic.

The centre has elevated the school’s reputation, contributing to increased enrolment and community trust.

It shows the transformative value of professional, place-based design: how it can rebuild identity, celebrate difference, and provide real impact.

This is a future-facing model for public education to inspire students, staff and educators alike.

This project aims to celebrate its natural environment, educating and exemplifying sustainability through resourceful, site-responsive architecture.

The building is fully electric, with an Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) heating and cooling system for year-round comfort.

These units pre-condition natural air, reducing energy consumption and costs.

It is cross-ventilated through multiple openings and breezeways, with a double-height central void acting as a lung.

Carbon-neutral bricks and blocks were used throughout, as well as low-VOC paints, acoustic panels and flooring containing recycled materials.

Cork provides acoustic and thermal insulation, as well as a place to display art.

A bold photographic mural spanning the length of the toilets shows layers of compacted rubbish underground - geo-testing from the sites in-filled quarry, serving as an educational piece on waste.

Excavated rocks from the site are used in landscaping, and bricks arranged to reflect the adjacent cliff face reinforce a strong connection to the place.