New Schools 2024 – Nganboo Borron School

Nganboo Borron School in Melbourne’s south-west is a specialist school that delivers a tailored learning environment to children with mild to severe intellectual disabilities. The independent Specialist School provides educational and therapeutic programs for 148 students aged from 5-18 years at both primary and secondary levels.

The school is co-located with Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College. Whilst two separate schools, each have been developed to share a common entry distinguished with a landscaped forecourt that unites the separate Administration Resource Centre for each school. This provides a sense of unity within the local community for the two schools.

The school has a single-level Administration Resource Centre, Community Hub, and Junior and Senior Learning Neighbourhoods. The design strategy was to create a safe, nurturing and engaging environment where students feel comfortable and confident to embrace challenges and take risks in their learning. The design also seeks to support a wide variety of learning activities, experiences and relationships to help students develop their full intellectual, physical, social and emotional potential.

Awards

2024 Winner, Minister’s Award, Victorian School Design Awards
2024 Finalist, First Nations Design, Victorian School Design Awards

Location: Wadawurrung Country
Werribee, Victoria
Client: VSBA
Value: $25M
Scale: 22.6 Ha
Year: 2024
Collaborators: Brand Architects
Project Contact: Christon Smith
Photography: Dianna Snape
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The buildings are arranged to form a safe and secure school heart suitable for outdoor learning and whole-of-school events forming the social centre of the school. It is envisioned as a place where the school can come together as a community and be connected in a beautiful landscape setting. The key ingredients being play, discovery, connectivity and engagement with nature.

The outdoor areas are a haven of diverse amenities, including sensory gardens, recreational spaces, vegetable gardens, sports courts, and bicycle education facilities. These cater to a wide range of needs and abilities, ensuring every student can find a space that suits them.
Jane Sayers
Director, DesignInc Melbourne

The Administration Resource Centre is a multifunctional space, with the flexibility for the staff to open its doors and connect with the campus. It is a dynamic venue for small gatherings and larger events, fostering connections within the school and broader community.

The school Community Hub provides additional resource intensive learning spaces for media studies and the performing arts. These spaces, along with a generous gallery foyer and the sports hall provide the school with a venue for large gatherings and performances.

A fundamental driver behind the design has been the provision of multi-faceted general learning areas which can cater for a range of simultaneous activities, as well as ensuring adequate access to amenities. As a result, the Junior Learning Neighbourhood is provided with Art and Science only, whereas the Senior Learning Neighbourhood is provided with Art, Media and Science spaces. Each Learning Neighbourhood has dedicated secure outdoor learning spaces that can be accessed directly from general learning areas. The natural and nurturing qualities of this biophilic environment will support student and staff wellbeing.

First Nations Design Response

Nganboo Borron School was designed with significant input from the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. In collaboration with the New School Bundle teams, a thorough process was undertaken to deeply understand the region’s environmental and cultural heritage.

The primary objective was to integrate nature into the school environment, creating a strong sense of place and community. The design emphasises seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces, drawing inspiration from the local landscape and waterways. Courtyards and learning areas are interconnected, linking users socially and with the natural environment through patterns and elements that represent natural ‘flow.’ This concept is inspired by nearby watercourses, including the Werribee River, Kororoit Creek, and Lollypop Creek.