Templeton Primary School

Kosloff Architecture were engaged by our client, the Victorian School Building Authority, to undertake a masterplan for the school followed by the design and delivery of a new building, acting as Lead Architectural Consultant and Project Manager. We were involved from the initial masterplan through all phases to completion and handover, including post occupancy and defects liability period. We managed the contractor tender process as well as financial reporting to our client.

Undertaking a masterplan for the school prior to commencing the new building meant that we were cognisant of the campus-wide challenges and opportunities, and this informed our design response. We undertook an extensive stakeholder engagement process that was guided by our IAP2 certification – teachers, students and community members took part in this process.

It also involved consultation with Traditional Owners, the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Association, on the design, which resulted in a landscape that references animals native to the area. Play areas are inspired by sugar gliders’ nests, and water-sensitive urban design traces a path modelled on the habitat of local kingfishers.

The tender was a lump-sum tender and consequently 100% complete contract documentation was produced by us and the specialist consultant team who were engaged and paid by Kosloff Architecture.

While the brief was uncomplicated – a two-storey teaching and learning facility with amenities and adjacent landscape – our design process involves posing questions that help expand our inquiry beyond the pragmatic and utilitarian, which helped form a design response that also successfully navigates the very steep slope of the site.

A conceptual framework, drawn from our extensive stakeholder engagement process, is established and agreed to from the onset, and this informs all phases of the project. For this project, the key conceptual framework drivers were Connection to Nature, Aspirational Learning, and Local Character.

The Templeton Primary School project reimagines the public role of an educational building, embedding generosity and openness into its architectural expression. Positioned directly on the street and framed by an amphitheatre that replaces the traditional school fence, the building asserts a civic presence—offering a shared space for students, parents, and the broader community.

At ground level, the building accommodates a dedicated staff Learning Resource Centre with associated amenities—a space for preparation, collaboration, and retreat. This is separated from the adjacent teaching spaces by a widened corridor that functions as a flexible threshold: part gallery, part reading and storytelling zone.

Three integrated science and art classrooms open onto the campus, reinforcing permeability and enabling seamless student movement between indoor and outdoor learning environments. Level 1 houses maker spaces with adjoining breakout balconies for creative exploration, alongside three general learning studios, each paired with its own balcony. An informal learning corridor anchored around the central stair supports quiet study, group discussion, or spontaneous gathering.

The entire building is fully accessible, featuring a lift and direct external access to ground-floor classrooms from the play areas. Balconies are enclosed to ensure student safety, while northern light is invited deep into the plan to create uplifting, naturally lit interiors.

Materially, the building continues a dialogue with masonry—a material strongly associated with Victoria’s historic school buildings. Here, brick is reinterpreted with contemporary articulation, evoking memory while supporting the identity and longevity of the school.

Together, these moves establish Templeton Primary School as an inclusive, future-focused environment—one that elevates learning, community, and civic pride. It has already been recognised in various national and international awards programs, winning the Popular Choice award in the global Architizer A+ Awards in the Educational category in 2024, and is currently shortlisted in the national Think Brick Awards.

Templeton Primary School is located on a steeply sloping site, with a six-metre level change along Crestdale Road where the new building is sited. The design responds by using the built form as a retaining element, enabling the creation of a flat, central plaza on the campus side that supports inclusive movement, outdoor learning, and play.

A planted verge buffers the street, while a gently terraced amphitheatre is embedded into the terrain, offering a civic gesture that strengthens the school’s connection to its broader community. Pathways to and around the new building have been regraded to ensure accessible routes from all areas of the campus, transforming a topographic constraint into a design opportunity that foregrounds equity and ease of navigation. The building and landscape together form a cohesive, welcoming heart to the school.

The street façade is carefully curated to allow natural light to learning areas, control western sun and still maintain a sense of privacy and enclosure from the street. Every design decision, across both architecture and landscape, was shaped by the school’s pedagogical priorities and the needs of its primary users: students and staff.

Inquiry and project-based learning is supported through dedicated science, art, and maker spaces, with adjacent breakout balconies enabling hands-on exploration and experimentation. Flexible and collaborative learning is fostered through widened circulation zones used for storytelling and display, informal learning spaces surrounding the central stair, and seamless connections between interior environments and outdoor areas.

Connection to place and community is reflected in the removal of fencing and the integration of amphitheatre seating into the site’s edge, reinforcing a pedagogy rooted in openness, engagement, and contextual learning. Finally, wellbeing and accessibility are prioritised through generous daylighting, enclosed balconies for safety, and universal access, including lift connectivity—creating a nurturing, inclusive, and uplifting environment for all learners.

State school education buildings are essential public assets that reflect the belief that every student deserves access to high-quality learning environments. Over the past decade, the Victorian School Building Authority, on behalf of the State Government, has delivered one of the most significant education infrastructure programs in Victoria’s history.

To contribute to this typology is both a privilege and a responsibility—one that recognises the legacy of Victoria’s early 20th-century masonry school buildings and the stewardship of public funds. Our approach is grounded in the following principles:

A community asset with civic value
This project recognises the school as a vital community resource—serving not only enrolled students but the broader suburb in which it is located. The building is designed to contribute to the public realm, offering amenities and identity beyond the school gates.

Flexibility and future-focused design
The building employs a concrete slab and column structural system with non-loadbearing internal walls. This allows for future reconfiguration, supporting the evolving pedagogical needs of the school over time.

A permanent, robust exterior
The use of face masonry ensures a durable, low-maintenance envelope, referencing the longevity and integrity of Victoria’s historic school buildings—without the need for painting or regular upkeep.

Embedding Traditional Owners’ knowledge
Extensive new planting was done in consultation with Traditional Owners, supporting the creation of habitats for local fauna.

A contemporary response grounded in history
In alignment with the Burra Charter, which guides heritage practice in Australia, our design does not replicate historical styles but instead responds to them through a contemporary architectural lens. It draws from the material language and civic presence of early masonry schools while articulating a confident and forward-looking architectural expression.

This is a project that both honours the past and contributes meaningfully to the future of public education in Victoria.

Energy Efficiency and Consumption The new built form prioritises passive environmental performance through the strategic placement and extent of glazing. Generous northern glazing maximises daylight and winter solar gain, while glazing is minimised on other orientations, particularly the south, to reduce heat loss.

High-performance double glazing, external shading, and insulation exceeding NCC requirements contribute to a robust thermal envelope and reduced reliance on HVAC systems, lowering operational energy use and costs. Passive design principles informed all aspects of the building envelope, ensuring durability and comfort throughout the year. This reinforces the school’s broader commitment to sustainability and provides students with a tangible demonstration of energy transition and the value of a zero-emissions future.

Selection of Building Materials and Process External materials include brick and blockwork, selected for durability, low maintenance, and recyclability at end-of-life. These common systems supported broad contractor availability and competitive pricing. The primary structural frame of steel and concrete was designed for near-full utilisation per AS3600 and AS4100, reducing embodied carbon.

Material selection followed sustainability criteria, with performance values included in the material schedule. Substitutions had to match or exceed these benchmarks. Non-renewable materials were used only when no renewable alternative was available. Low-VOC and natural finishes were prioritised. Adhesives are Best Environmental Practice PVC certified and phthalate-free. Vinyl products were selected for low VOC emissions and sustainability certifications.

Protection of Land and Ecological Systems Most existing trees were retained and designed around. Trees removed for construction were reused as nature play elements and garden edging. Rainwater harvesting supports toilet flushing and irrigation.

Standard sheet sizing reduced cutting and waste, and construction waste was diverted from landfill per VSBA requirements. Water-sensitive urban design features, including swales, capture and filter stormwater, directly informing the design of varied outdoor learning and play spaces.