Building Teaching Block 3

 

 

  When our school was originally designed the plans showed three teaching blocks.  For some reason only two were built in 1988 and since then transportable classrooms have been used as the additional classroom spaces.

In 2009 (following the Global Financial Crisis) the Australian Government announced the Building the Education Revolution - Economic Stimulus Plan which would see construction at all Primary Schools in the country. 

School communities had to prioritise their building needs and given that Banksia Park Primary School already had an Enclosed Covered Assembly Area / Performing Arts Centre, Library, Music Room and Art Room the School Council, P&C and Staff decided that it was now time to complete the original plan and build an additional Teaching Block.

This project was approved and was funded by the Australian Government through Building the Education Revolution which is part of the Nation Building – Economic Stimulus Plan.  Click here for more information about this Plan.

Banksia Park Primary School was required to use a standard WA  "Generic Brief" design for the new Teaching Block and, following a Tender process that was managed by the WA Department of Education, Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland Architects and JCP Constructions were commissioned to undertake the works.

The community was keen to retain as much of the native bushland as possible so it was necessary to redraw the original plans and temporarily relocate the transportable classrooms onto the oval whilst the construction of the new building was undertaken.  Thus, in late 2009 this was done and the building of Teaching Block 3 began - in the 21st year of our school.

The work was completed and the building officially "handed over" to the school on 6 October 2010 following a final inspection by the architect, builder,  BMW representative and School Principal.  The students and their teachers moved into their new classrooms during the first week of Term 4 in 2010.

On 9 November 2010 the school was visited by Mr David Chandler - Deputy Chairperson of the Australia Government's BER Taskforce.  Banksia Park Primary School was one of a random sample of Western Australian government schools inspected by this Taskforce.  Click here to see this Report.

The Official Opening of Block 3 occurred on Friday 1 April 2011.  See Pictures and Speeches from the Official Opening Ceremony.

Our sincere thanks to Ms Rebecca Carrick (Architect) and Mr Peter "Peco" Angeliski (Site Manager) who were responsible for the construction of Teaching Block 3.  Both of these played a pivotal role in ensuring that an outstanding result was achieved.

 

 

These pictures show the building's progress to completion:
 


 The three transportable classrooms are relocated.

 

  


 To save time they were moved as a whole - not split in half.

 


 The isolation fence and builders shed are put in place.

 


 The access track is installed on the side of the oval.

 


 The area is cleared and soil compaction begins.

 

  


The shape and size of the Teaching Block becomes clear.

 


The formwork is prepared and the concrete pour occurs.

 

  


The pad is now complete.

 


The steel framework starts to take shape.

 

  


Signage on Gracechurch Crescent.

 

The overall shape of the building starts to become evident.

 

  
The brickwork begins.

 

Brickwork continues at the rear of the teaching block.

 

  
Interior view of the teaching block.

 


The roofing begins.

 

  


The electrical cabling begins.

 

Roofing work continues.

 

  
The internal ceiling work begins.

 

Internal plastering work begins

 

  
The plastering is complete.

 

The ceiling works continue.

 

  
The entry area becomes evident.

 

The doors and windows are installed.

 

  
The ceilings are completed.

 

The fixed furniture is put in place.

 

  
The skylights are completed.

 

The concrete verandahs are laid.

 

  
The internal fit out continues.

 

The internal moveable walls are installed.

 

  
The whiteboards are fixed to the walls.

 

The landscaping begins.  This is the start of the sandpit.

 

  
The seating and bag racks are installed.

 

The vinyl is installed.

 

  
The carpet is laid.

 

The power and data conduits are completed.

 

  
The toilets are fitted out.

 

The landscaping continues.

 

  
The connecting paths are laid.

 

The external courtyard is completed.

 

  
The classrooms are completed.

 

On the 29 July 2010 the building reached "Practical Completion" after an inspection by the Architect, Builder and Principal.
However, there were still many finishing touches and the landscaping to be completed before we could move into the block.

 

The classroom furniture is delivered. 

 

  
The external works continue.

 

The planting of native bushes begin.

 

  


The lawn is laid.

 

The access track is removed and the oval is restored.

 

  
The isolation fencing is removed.

 

The transportable classrooms are emptied.

 

  
And the new block is finally occupied.

 
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In addition to retaining as much native bushland as possible, the mosaic that was constructed behind the transportable classrooms was able to be protected and enhanced (with the addition of a small wall) to create another special area. 
 

 

 

  
 

 

Thanks to the generosity of the school community, the P&C's wonderful fundraising efforts and the proceeds from our School Lapathon we were able to install a brand new set of playground equipment into the sandpit.
 

 

 

  
 

 

In November 2010 the three transportable classrooms were removed and the oval returned to a grassed play area.
 

 

 

  
 

 

In 2011 the State Government announced that it would retrofit Interactive White Boards, Security Screens and Air Cooling to all classrooms constructed under the BER Project.
 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Despite numerous requests from the school no modifications to the Generic Brief were allowed during the construction and maintenance period of this BER building.  Therefore, after the expiry of this time the external storeroom in this Teaching Block was converted into a much need Interview Room with the installation of a window and other minor modifications.
 

 

 

  

 

 

As part of our school contribution to the BER construction we undertook a special Art Project.  Under the leadership of Mrs Fiona Jackson-Betham a group of students created a "Banksiasorus" for our Dinosaur Dig.
 

 

  

 
 

Our school “Dinosaur Dig” is  now  complete.  Having spent many weeks sculpting clay, our Year 6/7 artists finished every bone needed to form the 3 metre by 2 metre Stegosaurus skeleton.  All 165 bones in the enormous skeleton, made to scale, were fired in our school kiln to bake the clay in preparation for burial.  The  “pit”, built from concrete and limestone, is situated below ground level under the shade of a tree at the edge of our school oval near the new BER Building.  The bones were cemented to the base of the pit and sealed for longevity.  They were then covered with a layer of white sand.  Now our Banksia Park palaeontologists are able to “dig”, discover and play in our new excavation site with a selection of trowels, scoops and brushes.

     

Watch aerial views of the progress of the building from its beginning to completion