New Administration and Refurbishment – St Gabriel’s School, Enfield

Indoors, the reception area is bright and modern, with expansive stone-look benchtops, and brick and ceramic tile accents weaving in touches of the external materials. Navy and grey contrasting carpets intuit wayfinding for visitors, and pair naturally with timber-look wall panelling and Tasmanian Oak door panels. The hall’s end tapers to an acoustically treated prayer nook – a contemplative spot to which staff can retreat.

Communal areas like the staff room repeat the natural brightness of the foyer; the generosity of this zone accommodates breaks for a growing number of staff. Dedicated offices are generous, too, and include separate spaces for the Principal, APRIM, and administration and finance team members, an interview room, sick bay, printer room, and accessible staff toilets.

Meanwhile, an economical refurbishment of the existing administration building on Whittington Street has converted this space into a whole-of-school resource centre. With partitions removed and acoustic treatments applied, the area functions well as the new library. Hardwood glazed doors to the adjoining intervention rooms and some repeated carpet detailing offer a small aesthetic reprise of the user experience at the new administration on Barrington Street.