Sydney-based Northern Beaches Christian School (NBCS) is excited to announce the opening of its Manhattan building, an innovative approach to school design.
Designed by WMK Architecture, Manhattan is a world class, open learning and social space for both students and teachers. It is designed to help students discover and explore and to inspire them to take charge of their own learning, with expert guidance and support from the NBCS teachers.
“Our aim at NBCS is to make learning deep, engaging, relevant and fun,” Stephen Harris, NBCS Principal, said. “We wanted a building that will inspire our students by creating a wonderful learning environment and Manhattan is a fantastic addition to our school campus.”
The Manhattan building is designed to enable truly personal, authentic and customised teaching. There is clear evidence that well designed spaces have an immediate and positive impact on creative thinking, productivity and learning.
A vital element of the design, is the space known as the City which includes a café and a variety of connection spaces. This precinct is fast becoming the heart of the school community.
“We’ve designed an architecture of spaces, it’s not just buildings that define the heart of the school campus and lead the way for new innovative learning in Australia and worldwide,” Greg Barnett, Managing Director of WMK Architecture, said.
The building was completed on time, under budget and it meets very strict environmental and sustainability standards. Solar power provides the building’s energy needs during the day, rainwater is collected and all food waste is recycled.
