VSBA Three Primary Schools Bundle

In response to the Victorian School Building Authority’s vision for high-quality education in rapidly growing communities, DesignInc partnered with Brand Architects to deliver three new Learning Neighbourhood buildings at Aintree, Aitken Hill, and Gaayip-Yaglia Primary Schools.

These schools are located on Wurundjeri Country and serve as vital hubs for learning and community engagement in the Hume and Melton growth corridors. The client’s brief was clear: create permanent facilities to accommodate 300 additional students per school, reduce reliance on relocatable classrooms, and design spaces that reflect contemporary pedagogical principles—flexibility, inclusivity, and sustainability.

Project Goals

Our aim was to craft environments that nurture the whole child—intellectually, socially, and emotionally—while embedding Indigenous stories and local identity into the architecture. The project sought to:

Deliver flexible, future-ready learning spaces that adapt to evolving teaching methods.
Integrate ICT seamlessly for 21st-century learning.
Connect students with nature through biophilic design principles.
Achieve cost efficiency and sustainability benchmarks, minimising lifecycle impacts.
Strengthen community ties by creating spaces that extend beyond school hours.

Location: Wurundjeri Country
Aintree, Craigieburn, Mickleham, Victoria
Client: VSBA
Value: $38M
Year: 2024
Collaborators: Brand Architects
Project Leadership: Christon Smith
Project Contact: Christon Smith
Photography: Tom Roe
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Design Response

The design narrative is rooted in nature-inspired learning, with key themes of play, discovery, connectivity, and engagement with the outdoors. Each Learning Neighbourhood building is a framework for collaboration and adaptability, featuring:

Flexible learning communities: Four clusters of 75 students, subdivided into home bases of 25, offering diverse settings from enclosed focus zones to open collaborative spaces.
Specialist hubs: Science, art, and library spaces combined into a cross-disciplinary centre for immersive, project-based learning.
Indoor–outdoor integration: Generous glazing, operable windows, and shaded verandas blur boundaries between inside and outside.
Materiality and identity: Warm, natural tones and textures inspired by the lava flows of Organ Pipes National Park; wayfinding and identity reinforced through Indigenous plant and animal themes.
Climate-responsive design: Passive orientation, aluminium mesh shading, and natural ventilation ensure comfort and energy efficiency.

Challenges such as rocky ground conditions, engineered fill, sloping sites, and restricted access were resolved through innovative structural solutions, two-storey configurations, and careful staging to maintain school operations during construction.

Project Outcome

The result is a trio of vibrant, inclusive learning environments that embody DesignInc’s values of human-centred design, sustainability, and community connection. Each school now boasts a permanent building that not only meets immediate enrolment needs but also provides a flexible, future-proof platform for learning.

Students experience spaces that invite curiosity and collaboration, while communities gain facilities that foster engagement and pride. By embedding Indigenous narratives and biophilic principles, the design celebrates place and culture, creating schools that feel connected, welcoming, and timeless.