Knox Boarding Centre

Category: Commercial

Owner: Uniting Church In Australia Property Trust (NSW)
Location: Woodville Avenue, Wahroonga NSW
Architect: Drew Dickson Architects
Builder: Novati Constructions
Bricklayer: A&O Bricklaying

Brick manufacturer: Austral Bricks
Product: Bowral Shorthorn Mix

Project description:

The Knox Boarding Centre project is located at the north‐western corner of the Senior School Campus. The brief required a state‐of‐the‐art boarding facility providing hotel-style accommodation for 140 students, 24-hour clinic, family accommodation for three house masters, as well as support staff facilities.

Because of its prominent position at the school's northern "gateway", it was important that the building be visually striking while maintaining the school's Scottish Baronial architectural style.

With a limited site area and a significant fall along the Woodville Avenue frontage, the building steps down the site over a number of levels. To reduce the apparent mass while maintaining a bulk and scale established by the surrounding buildings, the Boarding House was constructed in three distinct masonry "sections", each connected with a lightweight, glazed curtain wall infill at each step. To maintain the school's architectural style, the building is constructed in face brickwork on a rock‐face sandstone base.

The built form incorporates many architectural elements typical of the school, including steeply-pitched gables, oval highlight windows and intricate brick detailing featuring corbelling, herringbone panelling and soldier coursing, reflecting traditional techniques in a contemporary building.

The Knox Boarding Centre was completed in September 2010.