All Hallows' School - Potter Library Refurbishment

The existing Potter library fitout was 20 years old, was too small and did not reflect contemporary educational needs. The brief was to create a new inspiring space that reflects the All Hallows’ tradition of excellence, takes advantage of new technologies and modern pedagogies and is able to embrace change over its life- all within clear budget parameters and a tight time frame.

Fulton Trotter Architects embraced the design philosophy of Place, Pedagogy and Narrative as below;

Place- views out of the library were maximised so that the context of the library within the school campus and within the city surrounds is evident. A greater connection to the outdoors has been achieved.

Pedagogy- a variety of spaces has been provided to suit groups of different sizes and undertaking a variety of tasks. Spaces have been provided that are flexible and promote collaborative learning. These spaces are different to the classroom experience and inspire creative thinking. This difference is achieved with different floor levels, ceiling and lighting treatments and furniture.

Narrative- the story of Mother Patrick Potter who the library is named after was explored. The design references the school values and Mercy tradition including the “Circle of Mercy”.

Fulton Trotter Architects conducted a truly collaborative design process with stakeholders including the school leadership team, library/ teaching and support staff, facility management staff, technical/ IT staff, and the student council- all within a short time frame. This was enhanced by the use of a 3D BIM model from the early concept stages so stakeholders could easily understand the proposed design.