St Clare’s Kindergarten, OSHC & Community Facility
“Our new facility at Yarrabilba supports our belief that environments are integral to positive learning outcomes for children and has provided essential facilities to create community links and programs.”
Alana Crouch,
Director
Catholic Early EdCare
The St Clare’s Kindergarten + Outside School Hours Care (OSHC), or “Yarrabilba Hub” is the second combined community facility of its kind for Catholic Early EdCare.
Located adjacent to St Clare’s Catholic Primary School, it was important that the external features of the facility tied in with the domestic style and scale of the School buildings and surrounding suburb. Catholic Early EdCare’s approach for the centre is that they are the heart of the broader community, with close ties to the school, Parish and local groups. The Hub features spaces for private counselling services and larger multi-purpose spaces for community use.
Providing a common place for the connection with local community groups and participation in events helps the children build diverse relationships and understand their connections to a broader world, promote collaboration and active citizenship. The strong connection with the diverse community reinforces the ideologies that every child is an individual and helps build a strong sense of self, confidence in their abilities and a love of learning that they will take with them to school.
St Clare’s Kindergarten, OSHC & Community Facility
“Our new facility at Yarrabilba supports our belief that environments are integral to positive learning outcomes for children and has provided essential facilities to create community links and programs.”
Alana Crouch,
Director
Catholic Early EdCare
The St Clare’s Kindergarten + Outside School Hours Care (OSHC), or “Yarrabilba Hub” is the second combined community facility of its kind for Catholic Early EdCare.
Located adjacent to St Clare’s Catholic Primary School, it was important that the external features of the facility tied in with the domestic style and scale of the School buildings and surrounding suburb. Catholic Early EdCare’s approach for the centre is that they are the heart of the broader community, with close ties to the school, Parish and local groups. The Hub features spaces for private counselling services and larger multi-purpose spaces for community use.
Providing a common place for the connection with local community groups and participation in events helps the children build diverse relationships and understand their connections to a broader world, promote collaboration and active citizenship. The strong connection with the diverse community reinforces the ideologies that every child is an individual and helps build a strong sense of self, confidence in their abilities and a love of learning that they will take with them to school.
DESIGN FEATURES

Connectivity and Socialisation
Spaces to support inclusivity and diversity and enhance community interaction

Flexibility of Space
Flexible internal and external spaces to facilitate learning and support community groups

Sense of Place
The building is of domestic style and scale, incorporating design features of local vernacular

Awareness of Environment
Connection to the natural external environment, nature-based play space.
The Kindergarten and OSHC facility is designed in accordance with Early Childhood Education and Care guidelines and helps teachers and educators support children to socialise and develop friendships, and extend their learning in a safe and supportive environment.
The pedagogical practice at St Clare’s Kindergarten and OSHC utilises internal and external spaces. Outdoor play is a fundamental aspect of early childhood development; the approach to learning is one of discovery through play, so the design created unrestricted physical and visual connection between the external spaces and the indoor learning spaces.
The positioning of the garden as the project’s centrepiece enveloped by the building, invites the outdoor space into all rooms clearly articulating this objective. The landscaped play space is designed as a garden for exploration – a diverse and tactile series of nature based play spaces that provide a flexible canvas for outdoor learning, fun and recreational experiences that support children’s wellbeing, learning and personal development.
PROJECT TEAM
Structural & Civil Engineers: Sheehy & Partners
Electrical Engineer: Umow Lai
Hydraulic Consultant: MRP Hydraulic and Fire Services Consultants
Landscape Architect: Aspect Studios
Building Contractor: H&G Contractors
Project Photographer: Scott Burrows Photographer
DESIGN FEATURES

Connectivity and Socialisation
Spaces to support inclusivity and diversity and enhance community interaction

Flexibility of Space
Flexible internal and external spaces to facilitate learning and support community groups

Sense of Place
The building is of domestic style and scale, incorporating design features of local vernacular

Awareness of Environment
Connection to the natural external environment, nature-based play space.
The Kindergarten and OSHC facility is designed in accordance with Early Childhood Education and Care guidelines and helps teachers and educators support children to socialise and develop friendships, and extend their learning in a safe and supportive environment.
The pedagogical practice at St Clare’s Kindergarten and OSHC utilises internal and external spaces. Outdoor play is a fundamental aspect of early childhood development; the approach to learning is one of discovery through play, so the design created unrestricted physical and visual connection between the external spaces and the indoor learning spaces.
The positioning of the garden as the project’s centrepiece enveloped by the building, invites the outdoor space into all rooms clearly articulating this objective. The landscaped play space is designed as a garden for exploration – a diverse and tactile series of nature based play spaces that provide a flexible canvas for outdoor learning, fun and recreational experiences that support children’s wellbeing, learning and personal development.
PROJECT TEAM
Structural & Civil Engineers: Sheehy & Partners
Electrical Engineer: Umow Lai
Hydraulic Consultant: MRP Hydraulic and Fire Services Consultants
Landscape Architect: Aspect Studios
Building Contractor: H&G Contractors
Project Photographer: Scott Burrows Photographer