New Learning Facility

We are building the future

New Resource, Science, Technology and Creative Arts Building

in 2019, we began the first project of our new Masterplan – a plan that will deliver flexible and inspiring learning spaces for our Joigny (Junior) and Senior students, today and for generations.

It is a visionary plan that sees the School evolve to meet the needs of our students. It delivers spaces that will excite and engage students and teachers, reinforcing Sacré Cœur as a place for academic endeavour and creativity.

The first stage is a state-of-the-art, four level Resource, Science, Technology and Creative Arts Building that will also house our new Joigny and Senior libraries. Replacing an out-of-date 1969 building (that housed Science Labs and the Staffroom), it will sit in the heart of our School.

What will the new building feature?

The four level building will house an exciting mix of learning spaces including:

• Joigny (Junior) and Senior libraries
• Science laboratories
• Photographic, creative and digital technology studios
• Joigny IT laboratories
• Breakout learning spaces
• Collaborative and independent learning spaces
• An outdoor learning space

Project update

6 May

To make way for our new building and prepare for the demolition of the 1969 building, the Science Labs moved to temporary spaces. With a new staff room scheduled to be built in the current library location, our libraries also moved to a new temporary home. It is a well-planned domino effect!

12 June 2019

The new Staff Centre officially opened. As the old staffroom was located in the building that was to be demolished, it moved to its new home. The new Staff Centre is amazing with spaces for teachers and staff to come together as a whole team for collaborations, work and social activities. As the first new facility for staff in living memory, it has been very well received.

7 October 2019

The playground for our Years 3 – 6 students became ready to use. Now located on the oval, the girls are loving the open space and grass to play on.

15 October 2019

On Monday 30 September, demolition began and the buildings were gone in just over a week. A small team of dedicated workers, one very big excavator, a small bobcat and countless skip bins saw the site cleared. Work took place mostly in the school holidays, and staff and students watched on with great interest. See how the site is progressing through our timelapse video (below).

18 December 2019

The builders are hard at work undertaking the groundworks. With the School closed it is a busy site with the team working hard to get through a long program of works.

28 February 2020

An exciting day as the ground floor slab is poured and the first sign of the curves of the building can be seen.

23 April 2020

Today the first floor slab was poured and the graceful curves, both big and small, are even more evident. Lots of arcs for our students to measure in their maths lessons that will take place in the new building.

Support our Buildings and Grounds

Giving to Sacré Cœur has the power to change lives and build futures.

We invite you to make a difference and support the ongoing development of our facilities by donating to the Sacré Cœur Foundation’s Building Fund.

Sacré Cœur’s Building Fund ensures that generous and continuing donor support helps us to transform our buildings and grounds for generations of students and staff, while maintaining our heritage and history.

All donations to the Sacré Cœur Foundation’s Building Fund over $2 are tax deductible.

For more information how you can support our Sacré Cœur community please download the giving form below.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long will it take?

• It is expected that the new building will be completed and ready for use at the start of the 2021 school year.

• Will the school community be affected?

• Disruption to the students and staff will be minimised with quiet periods built into the builder’s contract to avoid periods such as the exam periods.  The Summer holidays period will see much of the ground works undertaken.

  We are very aware that constructing a new building at the very centre of the School’s campus will provide challenges to day-to-day school life. We will continuously monitor our learning environment for impact and will respond accordingly to minimise disruption for students and staff.

• How will the safety of our students be maintained?

• The safety of our students and staff is critical and the following measures have been implemented:

  • Working with Children Checks for all workers.
  • Relocation of the Joigny courtyard and play space to a newly fitted out space beside the hall and on the oval.
  • Our Risk and Compliance Manager will work very closely with the appointed builder to ensure the security of our students and staff.
  • Quarantined zones for the building work to separate the students from the construction.

• Is access to the School affected?

• Visitors will be able to access our Main Reception as normal. Joigny reception is now via the Main Reception and all visitors, including parents, need to sign in before making their way to Joigny by following the signs.

  Dorrington Avenue entrance is closed between 9am and 2.30pm but remains open for school drop off and pick up outside of these hours.

  Access to the rear of the School, via the Burke Road entrance, is closed between 9am – 2.30pm.

  All deliveries are now to be made to the west entrance of the Main Building, not the Main Entrance.

• Can I still access the gym?

• Access to the gym for hirers is now via the north side of the School; access via Dorrington Avenue is no longer possible. Make your way to the front of the School and then head to the left of the Main Building and follow the signs that take you along the path between the fence and the School.

• Who are the architects?

• The building was designed by Hede Architects who are an award winning practice that has been creating unique solutions and designing schools for a large range of students for over 30 years.

  The practice works with a range of pedagogies, all of which are aimed at creating self-initiated learning in a safe, flexible, inspiring environment. A dedicated team of architects work on each project, and each team member has areas of specialisation so that the project can benefit from the latest in design technologies and innovation.

  For more information about Hede Architects click here: Hede Architects

• How is the building being funded?

• The building is being funded by cash reserves, support from the Foundation, a small loan from the Catholic Development Fund and grants. We are building new capabilities in fundraising and philanthropy within the School Management to secure new sources of funding. Funding for this building will be not generated from increases in tuition fees.